Course Outline. Official & Finalized PDF

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POL 111 H5S L0101 and L9101 Canada in Comparative Perspective Winter 2022 Please Note: All times listed in this course outline are Eastern Standard Time (EST). In-person Lectures: Tuesday 9-11 AM, Rm 2082 in the Davis Building (DV) Tutorial Times: five tutorial groups meeting at different times on Tuesday in selected weeks only, either online synchronous or in-person (see below for more information) Instructor: Professor David Pond Virtual Office Hours: as requested by students (conducted through Zoom, FaceTime) Phone/Texting/FaceTime: 647-515-1957 E-Mail: [email protected] Grading: In-class Test (1 hour): February 15 (25%) Essay due: March 12 (25%) Note: late essays will be subject to a late penalty of 5% per day (including weekends) of the total marks for the assignment. Tutorial Participation: (10%) Note: the final drop date is March 13 Final Exam (2 hours): during April 11-29 Exam Period (2 hrs): (40%) The rules and policies set out in this course outline apply to all students taking this course. Course Objectives: This course does not presume any prior specialized knowledge of Canadian government and politics. The course introduces students to the main institutions and decision-making processes of the Canadian political syste m. Canada is compared to other liberal democracies sharing the same political values. By the end of the course, students should have a general working knowledge of 1) how federal politics works in Canada, and 2) the principal similarities and differences between Canada and other similar democracies.

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Student Learning Outcomes: Students will be prepared for taking other courses in Canadian government and related courses in the Department of Political Science. Students should acquire social science research and writing skills that will prepare them for taking other courses not just in the Department of Political Science, but also in other cognate departments in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of Toronto (on any campus). See www.utm.utoronto.ca/political-science/about-the-program/why-study-political-science for an overview of the broader learning outcomes and core skills students of Political Science at UTM can expect to encounter. Readings: There is no textbook for you to purchase. Instead, all of the readings will be made available on the Quercus site. Quercus: This course employs a Quercus website where you will find the course outline, essay assignment, the lecture slides, the tutorial schedule, and supplementary material. To access the Pol 111H website, go to http://portal.utoronto.ca and log in using your UTORid and password. Delivery of Course Materials: This is an in-person, lecture course. Lectures will be delivered in Rm 2082, the Davis (DV) Building. However, the first three lectures in January will be broadcast through Zoom only. To access the Zoom presentations, students are required to register for a UofT Zoom account (https://utoronto.zoom.us) prior to the first lecture. Only authenticated users can access the Zoom presentations. Students must follow the instructions to ensure that their account is authenticated. After the live presentation is over, the Zoom presentations will be mounted on the University’s Cloud site, at https://mymedia.library.utoronto.ca/login. This site can be accessed by all students registered in this course. The URLs for accessing the Zoom presentations at this site will be made available on the Quercus Pol 216H website. Students are expected to review and be in compliance with the University’s requirements for online learning (https://www.viceprovoststudents.utoronto.ca/tech-requirements-onlinelearning/). The technology requirements students need in order to take this course are also explained on this website. All lectures from February 1 onwards, will be in-pe rson only without any recordings made available. All students are expected to attend the lectures in person. Contacting your professor: I welcome queries and comments through: e-mail; cell phone; texting; FaceTime; and WhatsApp. Office hours will be ‘virtual’ only. Feel free to phone me if needed. If you are going to leave a message on my cellphone or text me, please identify yourself and the course you are taking.

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It is your responsibility to maintain your UofT-issued e-mail address in good working order. Forwarding your utoronto.ca email to a Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or any other type of commercial e-mail account is not advisable. In some cases, messages from utoronto.ca addresses sent to Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or similar accounts are filtered as junk mail, which means that e-mails from me or a TA may end up in your spam or junk mail folder. Therefore, if it is your practice to forward your UofT e-mails to a commercial account, it is advisable to regularly check your spam and junk mail folders. Failure to receive important class announcements and messages from me because of a faulty non-UofT e-mail account (for example, an account which screens out UofT e-mails as junk mail; bounced messages because of overloaded caches; a virus on your computer) are not legitimate excuses. Remember: official communications and announcements from the University, as well as from me, will always be sent to students’ official UofT-issued e-mail addresses. All requests for essay extensions (this is discussed below) must be made to me (not a TA) through students’ UofT email accounts, not through commercial e-mail accounts or through other media such as texting or WhatsApp. Students are encouraged to regularly check the ‘Announcements’ page at the Quercus site for this course. It is strongly advised that you load your essay onto Quercus using your UofT e-mail account, and not a commercial e-mail account. (The essay assignment is discussed below and in a separate file to be made available on Quercus). Tutorials: All students must be signed up to one of the five tutorial groups listed in the Timetable Planner, at https://student.utm.utoronto.ca/timetable. These groups are as follows: Group 9101 9102 9103 9104 9105

Day Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday

Meeting Times 11 AM-Noon Noon-1 PM 1 PM-2 PM 3 PM-4 PM 4 PM-5 PM

Delivery Mode In-person, on campus In-person, on campus Online synchronous Online synchronous Online synchronous

Please note, tutorials will NOT be held every week of term, in the time-slots available. The tutorial schedule will be released once classes start. There will be no tutorials in the first two weeks of classes. Two tutorial groups (9101 & 9102) will meet in person with the TA, in a classroom to be designated. However, these tutorials will be Zoom only in January. Starting in February, these two tutorial groups will start to meet in person only. Three tutorial groups (9103, 9104 & 9105) will be conducted by the TA online synchronous. This means they will be conducted via Zoom in Eastern Standard Time. To participate in the online synchronous tutorials, students are required to register for a UTM Zoom account (https://utoronto.zoom.us) prior to the first tutorial. Only authenticated users can 3

access the Zoom presentations. Students must follow the instructions to ensure that their account is authenticated. Students are expected to review and be in compliance with the University’s requirements for online learning (https://www.viceprovoststudents.utoronto.ca/tech-requirements-onlinelearning/). More resources are available on the UTM Library’s Learn Anywhere website (https://utm.library.utoronto.ca/students/quercus/learn-anywhere). The technology requirements students need in order to take this course are explained at https://www.viceprovoststudents.utoronto.ca/covid-19/tech-requirements-online-learning. Students will be assessed on the basis of their participation, either online or in person. More details will be made available once the course starts. Discussion topics will be announced via Quercus in advance of tutorial dates. Accessibility: Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or Accessibility Services as soon as possible. It is important to note that the rules and policies set out in this course outline apply to all students taking this course. Accessibility Services (located in Rm 2037, the Davis Building), are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. Please call 905-569-4699 or email: [email protected]. The Centre’s website is at: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/accessibility/welcome-accessibility-services. The sooner you let us know your needs the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course. Notice of Collection: The University of Toronto respects your privacy. The information on medical certificates is collected pursuant to section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971. It is collected for the purpose of administering accommodations for academic purposes based on medical grounds. The Department will maintain a record of all medical certificates received. At all times it will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have questions, please refer to http://www.utoronto.ca/privacy, or contact the University’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office at 416-946-5835. The address is: Room 201, McMurrich Bldg., 12 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1. Plagiarism Detection Tool: Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to the University’s plagiarism detection tool for a review of textual similarit y and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in the tool’s reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University’s use of this tool are described on the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation web site (https://uoft.me/pdt-faq). In this course your essays will be submitted through the plagiarism detection tool inside the Quercus site for this course.

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If a student does not wish to participate in the University’s plagiarism detection tool, the student MUST advise me (not a TA) imme diately via e-mail. Ideally, students should do so in the first two weeks of class. You will be required to agree to alternate arrangements for vetting your work, as well as to an alternate method for submitting your essay(s). Such arrangements could include some or all of the following: submission of your drafts, rough work and notes; submission of photocopies of the sources you used; submission of the URLs of all sources you used in your research. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is cheating. It is considered a serious offence against intellectual honesty and intellectual property. Penalties for an undergraduate can be severe. At a minimum, a student is likely to receive a “0” mark for the assignment or test in question. But a further penalty is often assessed, such as a further reduction from the course mark or placing a permanent notation of the incident on an academic record. It is essential that you understand what plagiarism is and that you do not commit it. In essence, it is the theft of the thoughts or words of others, without giving proper credit. You must put others’ words in quotation marks and cite your source(s). You must give citations when using others’ ideas, even if those ideas are paraphrased in your own words. Plagiarism is unacceptable in a university. The University of Toronto provides a process that faculty members must initiate when they suspect a case of plagiarism. A faculty member may not mark an assignment or assess a penalty if he or she finds evidence of plagiarism – the matter must be reported. The Chair of the Department, or Office of the Dean, will assess the penalty. The following are some examples of plagiarism:  Submitting as your own an assignment written by someone else, either completely or substantively.  Quoting an author without indicating the source of the words.  Using words, sentences, or paragraphs written by someone else and failing to place quotation marks around the mater ial and reference the source and author. Using either quotation marks or reference alone is not sufficient. Both must be used!  Adapting an author’s ideas or theme and using it as your own without referencing the original source. All sources used must be properly and accurately cited.  Using false citations or references.  Seeking assistance from a friend or family member in respect to work you claim as your own. It is also unacceptable to hand in the same essay in two different courses. You cannot submit an essay in this course for which you have already obtained credit in a previous course, or submit the same essay in two different courses in the same term, without my express per mission ahead of time. If you are not sure whether you have committed plagiarism, it is better to consult me rather than risk discovery and be forced to accept an academic penalty.

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As the passage above indicates, there are many forms of plagiarism. In my experience, the most common form of plagiarism is the failure to use quotation marks. So to repeat: all wording in your essay which is copied from another source must be in quotation marks. It is important that you familiarize yourself with UTM’s policies and procedures. The following official documents are available on the Quercus site: “Academic Honesty,” the “Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters,” and the “Code of Student Conduct.” Also available on the Quercus site is the University’s “How Not To Plagiarize” guide. Your essay will be marked on the assumption you have reviewed these documents. You should also consult:  “Advice on Academic Writing” (www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice);  UTM Writing Centre (https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/our-mission);  The University’s web page on plagiarism (https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/usingsources/how-not-to-plagiarize/);  The UTM Librar y’s webpage on writing (https://utm.library.utoronto.ca/research/writing). All grading, appeal and discipline issues in this course are governed by the regulations set out in the UTM Academic Calendar. See the relevant sections in the 2021-22 Calendar, which are available at https://utm.calendar.utoronto.ca/term-work-tests-and-appeals. UTM Statement on Academic Integrity: UTM wishes to remind students that they are expected to adhere to the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters regardless of the course delivery method. UTM expects that students will maintain the same academic honesty and integrity both in a classroom setting and online. Potential academic offences related to digital contexts include, but are not limited to:     

Accessing unauthorized resources (search engines, chat rooms, Reddit, etc.) for assessments. Using technological aids (e.g. software) beyond what is listed as permitted in an assessment. Posting test, essay, or exam questions to message boards or social media. Creating, accessing, and sharing assessment questions and answers in virtual “course groups.” Working collaboratively, in-person or online, with others on assessments that are expected to be completed individually.

All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate academic behaviour or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out additional information on academic integrity from your instructor or from other institutional resources. Submitting Your Essay: Essays are submitted through the “Assignments” tab on the Quercus site for this course. When you upload your essay to Quercus, the progra m automatically records the time and date you do this. 6

The essay is due March 12. You have until 11.59 PM on this day to mount your essay on Quercus without incurring a late penalty. You do not submit a paper copy. Papers will not be accepted by fax, e-mail, social media, or other electronic means unless specifically permitted by me beforehand. Penalty for Late Essay: Late assignments will be subject to a late penalty of 5 marks off per calendar day out of 100. For example, if an essay is one day late and the initial mark assigned was 75, the late penalty applies as follows: 75-5=70 final mark. Essays submitted five calendar days beyond the due date (without a prior extension) will be assigned a grade of zero. Essays handed in AFTER the work has been returned to the class cannot be marked for credit. Accommodations due to late registration into the course will NOT be approved. Essay Extensions: An extension applies to a deadline which has not yet happened. An extension extends the deadline into the future. The purpose of an extension is to accommodate a student who is confronted with an unforeseeable problem before the essay is due. Typical examples of unforeseen problems, which form legitimate grounds for an extension application include: absences due to illness, and death or illness in the family. Students are also eligible for religious accommodation. The length of a granted extension is calculated to level the playing field for the student, in relation to other students who do not need an extension. It follows that all extensions are for fixed time-periods, negotiated ahead of time with the professor. Please note, students cannot get an extension simply because they are busy juggling deadlines in different courses. Course deadlines are foreseen, not unforeseen. If students take on more courses than they can handle, they must accept responsibility for that choice. Skilful timemanagement is essential to a successful academic career. Current UTM policy on essay extensions is set out in the Academic Calendar 2021-22, at https://utm.calendar.utoronto.ca/withdrawal-and-returning-absences#temporary: U of T Mississauga students are required to declare their absence from a class, for any reason, through their ACORN accounts in order to receive academic accommodation for any course work such as missed tests, late assignments, and final examinations. Absences include those due to illness, death in the family, religious accommodation or other circumstances beyond their control. Students declare absences via their ACORN account on the day of their absence (or by the day after, at the latest). In addition, students must also follow the absence policies of the department and the instructor, which may require additional documentation. Once they have submitted the required information, they will be redirected to specific U of T Mississauga course policies regarding academic accommodation, which may include submission of an official Verification of Student Illness or Injury form or other documentation. 7

Please note the underlined sentences in the box above. ACORN self-declaration does not constitute adequate documentation. You cannot self-declare yourself too sick to work on an essay. To repeat: ACORN se lf-declarations do not automatically excuse you from late penalties on the essays. The Academic Calendar makes clear that every department and professor may adopt their own policies. To get an extension on an essay in this course you must follow the procedure below: Extensions must be applied for. Documentation must be submitted directly to the professor. If you need an extension on the essay deadline, you must ask me for it as soon as possible. I am very unlikely to grant a request long after the due date for an essay. Feel free to approach me in class or via UofT e-mail to request an extension. However, all requests must be formally submitted in writing (by e-mail). An extension is formally granted by me in writing, with the time-period indicated. Extensions are for fixed time periods. There is no such thing as an open-ended extension. Only under exceptional circumstances can a student obtain an extension after the essay is due and the due date has been missed. The purpose of the extension policy is to assist students facing an imminent deadline. Once an essay...