SOCI 100A-01&02 detailed course outline PDF

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Course syllabus: 100A Ravelli Short Form Outline Fall 2021...

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University of Victoria Sociology 100A-01 Introduction to Sociology: Understanding Contemporary Society Instructor: Phone: Office: Office Hours: Webpages: Tutorials:

Bruce Ravelli, Ph.D. ([email protected]) 250-853-3922 Cornett A304 Thursdays 11:00 to 1:30, by appointment or whenever my office door is open ravelli.ca | pearsonhighered.com/revel | coursespaces.uvic.ca/my/ You must register in/attend the tutorial that corresponds to your lecture section to pass the course

Where we are I respectfully acknowledge that the land on which UVic exists, and where we learn, live and study sits on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish, specifically the Lekwungen and WSÁNEĆ peoples. Course Webpages I use three web sites to support you and your learning. The first, ravelli.ca is my own site and includes virtually all the materials you need for the course (e.g., course outline, MP3 recordings of lectures, PowerPoint slides, exam questions/rubrics, etc.). The second, pearsonhighered.com/revel is where you will access your etext (available online from Pearson or from the UVic bookstore for $75 for both SOCI 100A and 100B when I teach them) – you will need an access code that I send to all registered students. The third, CourseSpaces, is where I will post your grades over the term. Calendar Description Introduction to the discipline and why it matters. Sociology challenges black and white thinking by exposing students to the shades of grey. Topics may include social theory, socialization, culture, norms, social interactions, self and identity. Course outcomes • Ability to explain and describe (using students’ own examples) the meaning and relevance of the sociological imagination. • Ability to define and articulate how the individual is influenced by the social. • Ability to discuss some of the primary areas of sociological interest as reviewed by the lecture, text and tutorial materials. Achieving these outcomes is facilitated by attending lectures, participating in class discussions, preparing for and writing exams, reading the textbook and completing online quizzes, preparing for and fully participating in tutorials. Understanding sociology helps you become a more informed, responsible and critical citizen. I hope this course will help you develop the ability to engage with, and prosper within, today's global and multicultural landscape. Students should be aware that this course intentionally engages with sensitive and challenging material and may be difficult for some. Student Assessment (option 1) Midterm 1 10% Midterm 2 25% Final Exam 35% REVEL tests 20% Tutorial Attendance/Qs 10% 100%

Midterms & Final I have found that some students do not realize the level of preparation required to succeed on university exams. To help you assess your exam writing abilities and your level of preparation, you will write two midterms: the first worth 10% and the second worth 25% of your final grade. Having two midterms (with increasing value) is intended to help you “learn the ropes” as you progress through the course. The final exam is worth 35% of your final grade. All exams are based on essay questions that I circulate before the test. For both midterms four (4) essay questions will be circulated and you will be required to answer two (2) of the questions that I choose. For the final I will circulate seven (7) questions and you will be required to write on four (4) that I choose. Each answer is limited to one single-spaced page (note: there are no other questions on the exam). All exams are cumulative (i.e., covers material from the beginning of the course). Essay questions highlight material from lectures, your text and any videos/guest presentations we may watch/have. Be aware that because I circulate the questions in advance (including the grading rubrics) and allow you to discuss/review them in tutorials, the grading standard is very high. If you want to do well on these exams, you CANNOT have a question (or two) you hope that I don’t ask … history suggests that I have a unique gift at choosing the question(s) you really don’t want me to. Finally, realize that over the term my expectations for your answers increase. As you learn more sociology, and gain more experience writing tests, the grading standard increases (i.e., an A answer for midterm #1 may not get an A on the final). Our exams require deep understanding of the concepts and not just simple memorization. REVEL Chapter Tests Your textbook (Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective 4th Edition) is provided on a digital platform called REVEL. Using this electronic version allows me to integrate more current research, include personal comments and anecdotes, than is possible in the printed text. REVEL also allows me to assess your reading in ways that are easy, transparent and help ensure you are staying current with your readings. Throughout the term you will answer a series of multiple-choice questions from the nine chapters that are assigned for this course (the other chapters are covered in SOCI 100B). The questions are interspersed throughout the chapter and when you answer correctly on your first attempt, you receive 4 points and then for your second attempt you receive 2 points. There are no points awarded for three or more attempts. Together, the nine-chapter exams make up 20% of your course grade. Because the tests are available for an entire week, there are no make-ups for missed/incomplete tests. If you are unable to complete the online REVEL tests because of financial hardship, you may write printed copies of the questions during my Thursday office hours (FYI, printed copies of the text are on reserve in the library). If you need to write these printed exams for the semester, you must register your intent to do so (an e-mail to me is fine) before 2:00 pm on Monday, September 16th (unfortunately, if you have not registered with me before the Chp 1 test is due (i.e., September 13th) you will forfeit the value of that test. Tutorial Attendance & Questions You must be registered in both the lecture and the corresponding tutorial section to pass this course. Be sure to attend the tutorial section that you are registered in. Tutorials are to help you explore topics of sociological interest in more depth than is possible in lectures. Please remember, as I will reinforce in lectures, tutorials are not intended to mirror material I cover in class. Tutorials are also to help you prepare for exams but more importantly (for me) to have you engage with sociology in smaller groups and be led by inspiring and passionate Teaching Assistants (TAs). Ten percent of your grade will be assessed by your attendance in tutorials as well as your written responses to questions provided by your TA in 4 of the 8 tutorials. Grading rubrics for the scoring of attendance/question answers will be distributed in your first tutorial.

Student Assessment (option 2) Any student who wishes to offer an alternative assessment strategy to the one posed above may do so by submitting a proposal to me (typed and single-spaced) on or before Friday, September 27th, 2019. Your proposal must cover the following: 1. Why you want me to consider an alternative assessment strategy for you; 2. Describe how the alternative assessment will better allow you to demonstrate your command of the material covered in the course; and, 3. Offer your suggestions on what criteria I should use when grading your submission(s). Note: The alternative assessment strategy must be of equal difficulty (in my opinion) to those outlined in Option 1. My evaluation and decision regarding the proposal is final and not open to appeal. All Option 2 assessments must comply with all university ethics policies and/or guidelines. Note: Be sure to complete the REVEL tests until I have agreed to your Option 2 proposal. If you don’t, and I don’t approve your proposal, you will have forfeited the value of those tests. E-mail Policy for Contacting TAs As the TA’s supervisor, I understand that TAs are graduate students who have their own studies to complete. Therefore, to protect their time and ensure they are paid for the work that they do, please comply with the following policies on when you can e-mail your TA: 1. When you missed a tutorial, and would like to receive any materials that were circulated at the tutorial; 2. When you are going to miss a series of tutorials (for medical or other demonstrable reasons) and, 3. When you have a schedule conflict with the TA’s office hours and want to request another time to meet (note: the TA may request evidence to substantiate the class conflict). If the subject of your e-mail falls outside these parameters, your TA does not have to respond. Remember, you can come and see me during office hours or whenever my office door is open. In addition, I am happy to respond to all e-mail questions from students if I can answer them in 2-3 sentences (ish). For questions that require detail, I will ask you either to stop by the office or ask the question in class if I feel other students would benefit from my answer as well. Grade Appeals: To appeal a grade, you must do all the following (in this order): 1) Listen to the applicable lecture/exam summary MP3’s again; 2) Review the grading rubric for the exam question(s); 3) After completing 1 and 2, and you still feel you were graded too low, you must prepare a short, typed, paragraph stating: I. With specific reference to the grading rubric, why you feel you deserve a higher score; II. Clearly indicate where you feel you went beyond the lecture/text material; 4) Meet your TA during their office hour. They will request your paragraph and if you do not have one they are not obligated to discuss the exam with you (this is Bruce’s policy not the TA’s so do not get upset with them); and, 5) If the TA agrees with you, they can change a score up (or down) by up to 10%. If there is a grade change greater than that the exam must be reviewed by Bruce who reserves the right to assign the grade that he feels is justified regardless of what the original score was. Remember, if you just want some feedback on how to do better on exams/assignments, and don’t want to appeal a grade, you can always see your TA during office hours (or by appointment) or stop in and see me as I am always happy to meet with students. Note: all grade appeals must be concluded 14 days after the exam/assignment is returned.

Undergraduate Grading Scale* Grade

GPV

Percentage

Description

A+ A A-

9 8 7

90 – 100 85 – 89 80 – 84

An A+, A, or A- is earned by work which is technically superior, shows mastery of the subject matter, and in the case of an A+ offers original insight and/or goes beyond course expectations. Normally achieved by a minority of students.

B+ B B-

6 5 4

77 – 79 73 – 76 70 – 72

A B+, B, or B- is earned by work that indicates a good comprehension of the course material, a good command of the skills needed to work with the course material, and the student’s full engagement with the course requirements and activities. A B+ represents a more complex understanding and/or application of the course material. Normally achieved by the largest number of students.

C+ C

3 2

65 – 69 60 – 64

A C+ or C is earned by work that indicates an adequate comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course material and that indicates the student has met the basic requirements for completing assigned work and/or participating in class activities.

D

1

50 – 59

A D is earned by work that indicates minimal command of the course materials and/or minimal participation in class activities that is worthy of course credit toward the degree.

F

0

0-49

F is earned by work, which after the completion of course requirements, is inadequate and unworthy of course credit towards the degree.

*The grading scale for the evaluation of course achievement at the University of Victoria is a percentage scale that translates to a 9 point GPA/letter grade system. The 9 point GPA system is the sole basis for the calculation of grade point averages and academic standing. Standardized percentage ranges have been established as the basis for the assignment of letter grades. The percentage grades are displayed on the official and administrative transcripts in order to provide fine grained course assessment which will be useful to students particularly in their application to graduate studies and for external scholarships and funding. Comparative grading information (average grade [mean] for the class), along with the number of students in the class, is displayed for each course section for which percentage grades are assigned. All students are expected to read and understand the information on "evaluation of student achievement" in the UVic Calendar. Students are expected to attend all classes and complete all assigned work, are responsible for ensuring they are properly registered in all their courses, and that they have officially dropped any courses which they do not plan to include in their program. All written work will be graded on the quality of sociological content and written English (see Calendar regulations). Students who do not complete all course requirements by the end of term will normally receive an N for the course; unless they apply for and are granted a "request for academic concession" (students must initiate this at Records Services).

At the end of a course, I submit a total cumulative percentage for your final score. Rounding up only occurs in the calculation of your FINAL cumulative percent and will occur as follows: 64.5 = 65 (C+) BUT 64.4 = 64 (C). In other words, when rounding is performed, nn.5 is rounded UP and nn.4 is rounded DOWN. Examination and Assignment Policy As per university policy, absence is only permitted in cases of illness, accident, family affliction, or religious obligations. Missing an exam for other reasons will result in a “0”. Students are responsible for providing official documentation to justify their absence, e.g. a doctor’s note. In cases of justified absences, the student has the right to write the make-up exam on the previously scheduled date. Please note that exams will not be rescheduled to accommodate students’ personal circumstances, including travelling plans. There are no exceptions to this policy. Grading In accordance with Senate Regulations, grading on the curve is not permitted. The grades students receive in this course reflect their performance in relation to specified academic expectations. Students should retain a copy of all submitted assignments (in case of loss) and should retain all their marked assignments in case they wish to apply for a Review of Assigned Standings. Students have the right to view their marked examinations with their instructor, providing they apply to do so within a month of receiving their final grades. All exams remain the property of the University of Victoria. Attendance As per university policy, attendance to all classes is mandatory. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness, accident or family affliction should report to the instructor as soon as possible. Absences that cannot be justified in accordance with university policies will be subject to penalty at the discretion of the instructor. If you are absent for reasons other than those specified under university policies, then it is not the responsibility of the instructor or the TA to help you catch up with missed lecture material. Academic Integrity The Department of Sociology fully and rigorously enforces the Senate Policy on Academic integrity. It is of utmost importance that students who do their work honestly be protected from those who do not. Because this policy is in place to ensure that students carry out and benefit from the learning activities assigned in each course, it is expected that students will cooperate in its implementation. Students caught cheating in the course will be expelled and reported to the Chair of the Department of Sociology and the Dean of Social Sciences for disciplinary action. Required Resource REVEL for Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective (4th Edition) (2019) by Bruce Ravelli and Michelle Webber. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada. If you are Struggling I appreciate that sociology is a new area of study for you and you may feel uncomfortable with the material or overwhelmed by the exams/assignment. This is understandable and not necessarily a problem. However, if you find yourself struggling with the lecture/text content, exams or the assignment please come and see me as soon as you know there is an issue or concern. I can’t help you if I don’t hear from you. Trigger Warnings As you will see from the first lecture, I introduce and discuss many controversial and challenging topics. I don’t do this to shock you or to bring up hurtful memories/experiences but rather to have us all confront topics in a manner that furthers our understanding of sociology and increase the chances of addressing them in positive ways. I will do my best to give context to these discussions, but students

need to realize that sociologists investigate many difficult topics and students must be prepared for, and accept the importance of, these discussions. Individual Counselling and Psychotherapy Sessions Professional counsellors provide short-term individual counselling and psychotherapy for registered students who find that problems are interfering with their performance or well-being. Counselling and psychotherapy focus on guiding and assisting students in understanding their issues and in taking actions. Individual counselling and psychotherapy sessions are confidential and free to registered UVic students. If you are facing challenging personal circumstances, please call their office at 250-721-8341 or stop by the Counselling Centre on the second floor of University Centre. Inclusive Classroom I am a white, middle-aged, cis-gendered man who, I hope, recognizes the privileged social, political and economic position I hold. From this position, I know that my own lived experience may hinder my ability to see the wonderful diversity that exists – but I promise you that I will try. If there is anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable in the class, if you have any concerns about your tutorials, or about what I am covering in lectures, please come and see me. I promise to listen carefully to your concerns and do everything, that is reasonable, to address them. Diverse Learning Styles All students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. If you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. The CAL staff are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations (uvic.ca/services/cal/). The sooner you let them know your needs the quicker we can all assist you in achieving your goals for this course. Departmental Equity Policy Statement The Department of Sociology is committed to inclusiveness and to a welcoming, friendly learning and working environment where members of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, and structurally disadvantaged groups are treated fairly. We will not tolerate sexism, racism, classism, ageism, ethnocentrism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and discrimination based on religious beliefs or any other form of prejudice which undermines people’s rights to fairness. Harassment The Department of Sociology supports the University’s policies on harassment, and is committed to ensuring that all students, staff, and faculty are able to exercise fully their rights to participate in activities at the University without fear of harassment. TooFAST + Course Experience Survey (CES) I value your feedback on this course. From the first day of class to the last, you can provide me with ongoing anonymous feedback about my teaching and the course by using TooFAST (link available from Ravelli.ca)....