APLS 373 – Women and Public Policy – Spring 2009
Syllabus
Monday and Wednesday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm
H and SS 203
Dr.
Office: H and SS C-5
Telephone: 803—648-6851 ext. 3227
Email: carolb@usca.edu
Office hours: Monday, 9 to 11 am, and by appointment
Text: Women and Public Policy: a
Revolution in Progress, 3rd
edition, by M. Margaret Conway, David W. Ahern, and Gertrude A. Steuernagel. (
We will supplement with online resources and with journal articles and other materials, some of which may be placed on reserve at the library. A few links are listed below (there are many more, including many advocacy organizations that try to influence public policy):
Center
for American Woman and Politics (the gold standard!)
New York Times Topics on Women
The Women’s Research and Education Institute
Leadership Institute at Columbia College, Columbia, SC
Women and Health Care (report from the Kaiser Family Foundation)
American Association of University Women
Eagle Forum (conservative
advocacy group that focuses on family issues)
Emily’s List (liberal advocacy group that focuses on women’s issues)
National Organization for Women (pro-abortion advocacy group)
National
Right to Life (anti-abortion advocacy group)
What We’ll Do in Class: How does public policy affect women? Traditional
courses and texts on public policy present an overview of the policymaking process, but rarely focus on
the specific issues or concerns of women, even though women comprise over half
of the American population. In this class we shall examine a number of policy
areas, including child care, economic equity, social security, health,
employment, and women and the military. Students are also welcome to suggest
other relevant topics that they would like to read about and/or discuss this
semester! Utilizing the theme presented by our text, we will also look at the
impact of cultural change on public policy. We will supplement the text with
readings from online newspapers, from journals, and from other materials. Due
to copyright restrictions I will not be able to handout this material to you in
class. Some of it is available online either directly through a url or through our library’s
electronic resources.
Our goals for the semester are 1) to improve your
knowledge and understanding of public policy and how it affects women
2) to improve your written, oral, and technological communication skills. 3) to familiarize you with how you can use computers and the
Internet as a research tool. We will
accomplish the first goal by reading and by discussing what we read and through
your written work in and out of class. Students may also be expected to lead
some class discussions (more on this later). We will accomplish the second and
third goals through the research you do for class assignments and for your term
paper. I will measure what you have learned through your performance on tests
and on your written work and class exercises.
Grades:
1. Exams: There will be three exams, the third
of which will be administered during the final exam period. These will be based
on the readings and class discussions. Each exam counts 20%. Make-up exams will
not be permitted unless there is some genuine emergency which can be
documented, such as a death or serious illness in the immediate family, and
will be given during my office hours. You should contact me as soon as possible
to set up a day and time.
2. Written work: 20% of your grade will be based on daily assignments, in and out
of class written work, Internet assignments, in and out of class video assignments
(if available), class discussions, possibly a debate, and possibly some work
that includes leading a class discussion. There will be a written assignment
based on the readings or some related topic for virtually every class. Some of
these will involve answering questions based on material in the texts, some of
them will be short thought papers, and some will require you to apply what you
have learned by doing research in the library or on the internet. Written work
is graded on a satisfactory-marginal-unsatisfactory basis. Marginal work is
work that has excessive sloppiness, spelling and/or grammatical errors or that
represents inadequate effort. Two marginals are
equivalent to one satisfactory. I will
average the total number of assignments completed into those assigned. All homework should be typed and
proofread. Your homework must be handed
in on time and at the beginning of class. Late assignments will not be accepted
except in cases where there are documented emergencies. Note: You may email
homework if you wish. Be sure to save a copy for your own protection. If you
are absent when we do an in-class activity, you will receive a zero for that
assignment.
3. Term paper: The remaining 20% of your grade will be based on a ten page typed term paper
(12 point font, one inch margins). This is ten pages of content, and you
must include a bibliography (use the MLA format) and document your work with
appropriate references. The USCA library has the MLA Guide and the reference
librarians can help you in finding material. You can also receive assistance
from the Writing Room. You may NOT use Wikipedia. Excessive spelling and
grammatical errors will be penalized up to a one letter grade penalty. For your
paper, you will select a policy area to explore and should expect to lead a
class or make a presentation to the class.
You may also work with another student or in a small group on a project
if you wish. We’ll discuss this further in class.
All homework must be turned in on time
and at the beginning of class. If you are absent from class, your homework is
still due that day with the exception of documented emergencies or illnesses.
In general, late assignments will not be accepted. You may fax or email
your assignment if you are unavoidably absent. You are responsible for
determining the assignment if you miss class. I suggest you exchange names and
phone numbers with another student so you can get the assignment if you are
absent and are unable to access the web from your location. If you are absent when
we do an "in-class" assignment, you will receive a zero for that
assignment.
Grading Scale
A = 90 or above
B+ = 85-89
B = 80-84
C+ = 75-79
C = 70-74
D = 60-64
F = below 60
Honor Code: All students are expected to abide by USCA's honor code. The honor code applies to all work done during the semester, including exams, homework and papers. Plagiarism, copying and cheating are grounds for failing the course and I will utilize the violation of academic integrity procedure outlined in your student handbook and the faculty manual. If you have any questions about honor code violations, please see me.
Attendance Policy: You must attend 75% of your classes (21 classes) in order to pass the course. I will take attendance on a daily basis. You must initial in your own name. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet. Don't tell me later that you "forgot." If you initial in someone else’s name, that will be considered an honor code violation.
Disability Policy: If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability which might affect your performance in this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 126A B&E, (803) 641-3609, as soon as possible. The Disability Services Office will determine appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation.
Rising Junior Portfolio Requirement: Your instructor values good writing in this course. Please remember that the written work that you produce in this class can be included in your Rising Junior Writing Portfolio. For further information on the portfolio requirement please consult your USCA Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Bulletin or visit Dr. Lynne Rhodes, Director of Writing Assessment or Karl Fornes, Director of the Writing Room.
Last updated 1/7/2009