APLS 493U - American First Ladies - Syllabus
Taught entirely over the Internet
Summer I 2010
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Dr. Office: H and SS C-5 Telephone: 803-648-6851 ext. 3227 Email: carolb@usca.edu Office hours: Meetings
with students will be arranged by appointment during normal university summer
hours (Monday through Thursday). The professor will be available on a daily
basis via email and telephone and will endeavor to respond promptly to all
student concerns. Text: The Presidential Companion: Readings on
the First Ladies, 2nd
Edition, edited by Robert P. Watson and Anthony J. Eksterowicz ( We will supplement with online resources and with
journal articles and other materials. What we’ll do in this “virtual”
class: Our goals for the semester are 1) to
improve your knowledge and understanding of the roles played and influence wielded
by First Ladies as helpmate, surrogate, and policymaker to the President; 2)
to improve your written 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 (mostly on a blog) what we read and through
your written work for this class. Each of you will be expected to lead a
virtual discussion by responding to some questions or topics that I pose. We will accomplish the second and third
goals through the research you do for class assignments, including daily
written assignments and blog comments. I will measure what you have learned
through your performance on your written work. There will be no formal exams
or term papers for this class, but you will have a fair amount of written
work to complete on a daily basis. If you wish to earn a good grade, you will
need to keep up! Daily assignments include the
following three kinds of assignments: These are daily written work based
on the readings, daily web enriched or newspaper assignments to reinforce the
readings, and virtual discussions using our class blog. Some days you will
not have three separate kinds of assignments but on many days you will. The
blog assignments require you to post at least one comment on our blog. All of
the other assignments should be emailed to me at carolb@usca.edu Here is your blog link - http://apls493u.blogspot.com/ (We
will start using the blog on the first day of class – remember to sign your name when you make a comment!) Grades: I will average your total point score into the total
points possible to determine your final grade. There will be no exams or term papers in this class. 1. Written work: 5 points These are daily assignments based on the readings –
this may be an essay or a list of questions, or questions posted on Blackboard, although at this time I don’t
anticipate using Blackboard – I’ll let you know, of course. For these, you will be expected to write a one page
cogent, thoughtful essay that answers all the questions posed and shows evidence that you actually read the assigned
materials, or that you answered the specific questions. 2. Web based and newspaper based assignments: 3 points
for your response to each day’s assignment, although when I assign several articles, as I do during the
first few days of class, there will be additional points available. See The assignment page for more information on specifics. 3. Blog postings: 2 points for your initial posting on
the blog. You must respond at least
once for each question in order to receive credit, and you must make a thoughtful
response. You receive credit for your first response only, but additional comments are welcome. I believe in the use of “multiple measures” for
determining a final grade. In other words, you will have a variety of assignments to complete for this class. Summer school
goes by quickly, so it is important to keep up with your work each day! If our internet connection goes down, we
will make accommodations and I will then accept late work. If the USCA website goes down, I will
try to post instructions for you on Blackboard, assuming that is working. We do have computers available on campus
24/7, but you should not wait until the last minute to do your work in case you have computer problems at home or at
the office, wherever you are doing your work! Plan ahead! And keep a copy of your work in case it gets lost in
cyberspace. Make up work will only be accepted in extraordinary circumstances
in situations which must be documented, like a death in the family or serious illness. Students who
fail to do their work will be unable to pass the class. Do not use Wikipedia or any online encyclopedias for
this class. Grading Scale A = 90 or above B+ =
85-89 B = 80-84 C+ =
75-79 C = 70-74 D+ = 65-69
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. 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. Writing Proficiency
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 Writing
Proficiency Portfolio. For further information on the portfolio requirement
please consult your USCA Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Bulletin or visit
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