SWK 113 Working with Diversity
Spring 2005
M 9:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.
One hour or more Blackboard each week
Instructor: Sheri Narin
Office: L130
Office Hours: Posted by Office Door
Phone Number: (336) 599-1181 Ext. 424
E-mail: narins@piedmontcc.edu
Course Website: http://courses.piedmont.cc.nc.us
Faculty Website: http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/faculty/narins
Textbooks: 1 )Cultural Diversity: A Primer for the Human Services, second edition by Jerry V. Diller, 2004, Brooks/Cole Publishers. ISBN: 0-534-52221-1
2) Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination, Scott Plous (Editor), 2003, McGrawHill Publishers, ISBN: 0-07-255443-6
Other Required Materials: Access to the Internet and a working email address.
Course Description: This course examines and promotes understanding, sensitivity, awareness, and knowledge of human diversity. Emphasis is placed on professional responsibilities, duties, and skills critical to multicultural human services practice. Upon completion, students should be able to integrate and expand knowledge, skills, and cultural awareness relevant to diverse populations.
Classroom – 3 Lab – 0 Clinic – 0 Credit - 3
Prerequisite/Corequisites: None
Course Objectives:
1. Student will be able to describe and demonstrate what it means to be culturally competent.
2. Student will be able to define racism and prejudice and describe its personal and professional effects.
3. Student will demonstrate an understanding and respect for cultural diversity through exercises and oral presentations.
4. Student will be able to identify and describe the impact of institutional bias in service delivery.
5. Student will demonstrate an understanding of how to integrate culturally diverse practices into a workable practice approach through role-plays and workbook activities.
Evaluation: A combination of classroom activities, homework assignments, oral presentations/projects, journals, examinations and Blackboard activities will comprise the basis of evaluation for this course. Evaluation will be based on an accumulative point system with a total of approximately 1000 points available. Total point value is subject to change.
Classroom Activities: The learning process in this class involves strong participation in small group activities, as well as presenting information to your fellow classmates. Your input is essential for your own learning as well as that of your classmates. You will be asked to play various roles in group activities and will be graded on fullness of participation and quality of participation. The grade will include evaluation of your ability to work out conflicts within small groups, using the principles gained in studying issues of diversity. Group members will be responsible for the full participation of all group members. In-class assignments cannot be made up. Classroom activities will be worth up to a total of 50 points, or 5% of your grade.
Homework Assignments: You will be given several homework assignments. Assignments are to be turned on the due date and at the beginning of the class period due. Homework assignments that are late will lose 5 points per day late, including weekends. If you are not going to be in class, assignments can be emailed or faxed or left early. Homework assignments will be worth a total of 100 points, or 10% of your grade. These assignments are different from the assignments on Blackboard.
Oral Presentations/Projects: You will give at least two group presentations and may have other small projects. You will be assigned a different cultural or religious group about which to learn and will present this information to the class. You will also have a project developing a book for young children to explain prejudice. You will be graded on thoroughness and creativity of presentations and projects. Oral presentations/projects will be worth a total of 250 points, or 25% of your grade.
Journal: You will be asked to keep a journal about responses to class content and how the class may other areas of your life. At the end of each class, you will also be given a question to answer in the journal as well. You are responsible for a journal entry each class day even if you are not in class. Thus, each journal entry should answer the following questions:
Journals will be collected approximately every four weeks. Journals that are turned in late will lose 5 points per day. Journals will be kept in one notebook and will be turned in with that format. Loose pages or stapled pages will not be accepted. Journals will be worth a total of 250 points, or 25% of your overall grade.
Examinations: There will be at least three examinations during the semester. Examinations will involve a variety of question types and will focus on applying information learned. Examinations will be worth a total of 100 points, or 10% of your grade. Exams may be given on Blackboard.
Blackboard Activities: There will be weekly Blackboard discussion board/assignments to be completed on the Internet. These will be worth a total of 300 points, or 30% of your final grade. You can find more specific instructions on the Blackboard site.
GRADING SCALE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON FINAL POINT VALUE TOTAL):
1000 to 900 = A; 899 TO 800 = B; 799 TO 700 = C; 699 TO 600 = D; Below 600 = F.
ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance at all class meetings is
necessary for students to learn important concepts. In this regard, the
following class attendance policy is established:
1. A student is expected to be regular and punctual in meeting all classes. To
receive credit for a course, the student must attend prior to the census point
and a minimum of 80 percent of classes, labs and shop hours. Failure to attend
class is an absence, regardless of the reason. Absences are counted from the
first scheduled meeting of the class, not the first day the student attends. All
work missed during absences must be made up to the satisfaction of the
instructor. Failure to complete required assignments will negatively affect the
student's final grade.
2. A student who exceeds the 20 percent limit of absences may be dropped by the
instructor through the eighth week of the semester. If a student exceeds the 20
percent limit after the eighth week, the instructor is authorized to award the
student the "I" or "F" grade as warranted by the student's performance.
3. Any exceptions to this policy must be authorized by the instructor.
Attendance Policy for this class
Attendance and participation are important components of learning. In addition
to the Piedmont Community College attendance policy, the following policies will
apply: Perfect attendance in class at the end of the semester will raise your
overall grade by 1.5% points. Thus, if your average at the end of the class is
an 88.5 % and you have perfect attendance, your grade will be increased to a
90%, or an A. Being on time for every class will result in another .5% grade
increase. After three absences, every subsequent absence will result in an
overall grade reduction of 3%. Every fifteen minutes missed of class counts as
1/3 absence; thus, three incidences of being late or leaving early or not coming
back from a break within the specified time will count as an absence. For
example, if you have 2 absences, were late three times and left early three
times, this would count as 4 absences and your final grade would be reduced by
3% points, such as an 82% being reduced to a 79%.
CLASS POLICIES:
1. You are expected to be on time and prepared for class. If you are unable to
be in class, you are expected to let the instructor know by leaving a message by
phone or email previous to the class period.
2. Assignments are to be turned in on the date due and at the beginning of the
class period due. You are responsible for making up any missed in-class
assignments; however, some assignments cannot be made up.
3. As noted in the attendance policy, excessive absences will reflect negatively
on your grade.
4. The ability to write well is an important skill for your professional
development. Assignments that are difficult to read due to handwriting will be
returned with one opportunity to redo the assignment, within 2 days. Typing is
strongly recommended. Some assignments require typing and will not be accepted
if not typed. Assignments with excessive grammatical or spelling errors
(excessive as subjectively defined by the instructor) will be returned with one
opportunity to make corrections.
5) Below is the PCC policy on plagiarism:
7.5.1
PLAGIARISM
Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is “the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own" (Alexander Lindey, Plagiarism and Originality, 1952).
The following acts are examples of intentional plagiarism:
Copying material from a published source to avoid having to devise one’s own ideas.
Failing to give clear and proper credit to an idea, phrase, or quotation taken from a source.
Purchasing a pre-written paper.
Having someone other than the stated author complete an assignment, or part of an assignment.
Unintentional Plagiarism occurs when a student provides sources for his or her work, but the sources are cited incorrectly or inadequately. Handbooks with documentation rules for Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychology Association (APA), two source documentation styles, are housed in the Caswell County Campus Resource Center and in the Person County Campus Learning Resource Center. Students are also encouraged to speak with their instructors when they are uncertain about documenting their sources in class assignments.
Plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, and repeated offenses will lead to increased penalties that may ultimately result in expulsion from the College, as set out below:
A student who unintentionally plagiarizes will receive a warning and instruction on proper citation, style, and usage for the first offense.
A student who unintentionally plagiarizes a second time in a single course will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized.
A student who intentionally plagiarizes will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized.
If a student receives a course grade of F due to plagiarism, the course instructor will notify the Dean of Student Development using the Plagiarism Incident Report Form.
If a student receives three course grades of F due to plagiarism, as determined by records kept in the office of the Dean of Student Development, he or she will be expelled from the College.
Legal Reference: G.S. 115 D-20
History Note: Effective January 20, 2004
6) Assistance: Please contact me by phone or email with any questions or problems. There is also a distance-learning counselor available. Her name is Libbie McPhaul-Moore and she can be contacted at 599 - 1181 ext. 445.
7) Email policies: When sending an email to your instructor, please make sure that in the title, you put the course code (SWK 113, SWK115, etc.), your name, and to what this is in reference (Module two homework assignment, etc.). Emails that do not identify the speaker in the title line may be deleted to protect from viruses.
8) Late Assignments: Homework assignments that are late lose 5 points a day. Discussion board answers to posted questions that are less than two days late will lose a grade level per day since it will be more difficult for other students to respond. Discussion board responses that are late will not be graded as this does not provide the opportunity for other students to interact and learn from each other, thus negating the purpose of the assignment. Exams cannot be taken after the last available day.
9) Dropping the class: If you choose to drop the class, you must complete a drop form. If you do not complete the drop form you will receive an “F” in the class.
10) Cell phones and beepers should be turned off or
on vibrate in class. If you do get a call, please leave the classroom before
answering the call.
Student Success Center
Piedmont Community College now
offers a comprehensive package of services to assist students with their
academic success. The Student Success Center, located in Room G-204, provides a
variety of free learning support services including computer access, tutoring,
supplemental instruction, study groups, and other academic services. Visit or
call Gloria Bennett, Coordinator of the Student Success Center, at 599-1181 ext.
276 to access this valuable student resource.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability that may affect your academic performance and need accommodations, you may contact the Special Needs Counselor, Shelley Stone in E-Building. It is important to request accommodations early in order to give the counselor adequate time to consider your request and recommend reasonable accommodations. Information provided to Ms. Stone will be kept confidential.
Financial Aid
It is important to be aware that withdrawing from a class or failing a class may
adversely affect financial aid availability, and at times will result in your
having to pay back money to the school. You are strongly encouraged to talk with
the financial aid office before withdrawing from a class.
The last day to drop this class with a "W" is March 4, 2005.
Location Schedule:
All classes will meet in B101, unless otherwise noted.
Class Meeting Days:
1) Monday, January 10, 2005
2) Monday, January 24, 2005
3) Monday, January 31, 2005
4) Monday, February 7, 2005
5) Monday, February 14, 2005
6) Monday, February 21, 2005
7) Monday, February 28, 2005
8) Monday, March 7, 2005
9) Monday, March 14, 2005
10) Monday, March 21, 2005
11) Monday, April 4, 2005
12) Monday, April 11, 2005
13) Monday, April 18, 2005
14) Monday, April 25, 2005
15) Monday, May 2, 2005
16) Monday, May 9, 2005
Blackboard Weeks:
Week One: Thursday, January 6, 2005 to Sunday, January 9, 2005
Week Two: Monday, January 10, 2005 to Sunday, January 16, 2005
Week Three: Monday, January 17, 2005 to Sunday, January 23, 2005
Week Four: Monday, January 24, 2005 to Sunday, January 30, 2005
Week Five: Monday, January 31, 2005 to Sunday, February 6, 2005
Week Six: Monday, February 7, 2005 to Sunday, February 13, 2005
Week Seven: Monday, February 14, 2005 to Sunday, February 20, 2005
Week Eight: Monday, February 21, 2005 to Sunday, February 27, 2005
Week Nine: Monday, February 28, 2005 to Sunday, March 6, 2005
Week Ten: Monday, March 7, 2005 to Sunday, March 13, 2005
Week Eleven: Monday, March 14, 2005 to Sunday, March 20, 2005
Week Twelve: Monday, March 21, 2005 to Sunday, March 27, 2005
(March 28, 2005 to April 1, 2005 is Spring Break)
Week Thirteen: Monday, April 4, 2005 to Sunday, April 10, 2005
Week Fourteen: Monday, April 11, 2005 to Sunday, April 17, 2005
Week Fifteen: Monday, April 18, 2005 to Sunday, April 25, 2005
Week Sixteen: Monday, April 26, 2005 to Sunday, May 1, 2005
Week Seventeen: Monday, May 2, 2005 to Sunday, May 8, 2005