Sociology 560: Teaching Sociology

Soc 492: Senior Project Syllabus 21173 Monday & Wednesday 9:00-10:20 a.m. in HGH 204 Spring 2015

Contact Information Instructor Office, Phone & Email Tony Silvaggio BSS 532 Department of Sociology Phone Number 826-3142 Office Hours: Mon. 1:00-2:00pm & Tues. 3:30-4:30 [email protected] Other meetings by appointment

Please note that this syllabus, the course Moodle site, and corresponding course materials are derived from prior courses and the faculty who taught them. Notably Christina Martinek, Mary Virnoche, Elizabeth Watson, Jennifer Eichstedt, and Josh Meisel in particular helped design the course and craft the materials included here.

Course Description Your senior project should be the capstone expression of your “sociological imagination.” You have spent a great deal of time and energy in the last few years developing core knowledge, skills and ethics that are central to the practice of Sociology. The senior thesis project class is the final venue in your undergraduate experience to engage deeply in a research or action effort and showcase your abilities as a Sociologist.

Official Catalog Description: Design and carry out original empirical research or extensive review of literature. Proposal due in semester before enrollment to receive permission number. .

Learning Outcomes After completing this course, you should be able to demonstrate the following course learning outcomes, as well as progress toward final department and university-related learning outcomes: Course Learning Outcomes  Select and use appropriate research methods and theory for given project.  Use sociology background in a) informing and analyzing data b) approaching and analyzing a research literature, or c) designing and developing a nontraditional creative project.  Drawing on sociological theory and methods, provide peers with project feedback and editing.  Produce a professional product in the form of a research paper, report, literature review or other nontraditional creative project.  Give an effective oral presentation supported with the appropriate visual technology that communicates the essential elements of your capstone work.  Demonstrate professionalism through a) committed peer collaboration; b) regular and timely meeting attendance and participation; and c) preparing a resume or CV.

Department Learning Outcomes

1  Think critically about social justice efforts and inequalities in communities and environments.  Develop a solid foundation in sociological theory.  Make linkages between empirical data and theoretical concepts.  Develop appropriate research designs and instruments to answer sociological questions.  Apply appropriate techniques to the analysis and presentation of data.  Communicate effectively orally and in writing.

University Learning Outcomes While this course in many ways contributes to all the university learning outcomes, it most centrally contributes to your ability to demonstrate:  Effective communication through written and oral modes.  Critical and creative thinking skills in acquiring a broad base of knowledge and applying it to complex issues.  Competence in a major area of study.  Succeed in (your) chosen careers.  Take responsibility for identifying personal goals and practicing lifelong learning.

Resources ASA Quick Style http://www.asanet.org/Quick%20Style%20Guide.pdf ASA Style Guide. Shelved in BSS 539. Please don’t remove from the room Other resources are linked to the Moodle Site

Grade Components and Weight Please note: Meeting all your deadlines and actively helping peers will bring you about halfway to passing this class and graduating (remember you need a solid “C” or better for it to count toward the major). By the same logic, if you merely turn in a project, you will not pass this class even if the project is “A” work.

Point-Related Milestones 15 points Final Written Product 55 points Oral Presentation 10 points Peer Collaboration 10 points Professionalism 10 points Total 100 points

Point-Related Milestones and Deadline Adjustments (15 points) We will agree on series of milestones for which you will receive three (3) points each for timely completion. Your first milestone will be the creation of a project timeline. Other milestones might include IRB application drafts, literature review drafts, additional annotated bibliographies, instrument drafts and piloting, methods section drafts, data collection, data analysis drafts, and creation of presentation materials. Non-traditional products will include other types of milestones such as segments of broadcasts or pieces of web sites. As you complete each point-related milestone on or before deadline, you will earn 3 points out of the 15 total possible points. As with any professional deadlines, there is often some flexibility if you anticipate and communicate. Turning in point related milestones late without communicating

2 will likely mean you will lose the points for that milestone. “Minor” adjustments (a few days) are allowed if discussed.

Final Written Product (55 Points) Upload your final written report to our Moodle site (.doc or docx fomat). We will grade reports using the Senior Project Rubric linked to the Moodle site.

Oral Presentation (10 Points) Your final presentations will be scheduled over three class meetings: the last two scheduled class sessions and our final exam session. It should be a polished 10 to 12 minute professional presentation to which faculty, other students, administrators & staff members will be invited to attend. Visuals and personal appearance should be professional. Your goal is to make your presentation engaging while conveying the central tenets of your work. Be creative. You should personally invite faculty and friends to attend your presentation.

Peer Collaboration (10 points) We hope you will choose to actively engage in a peer-supported senior project process. In the past, students have said that the peer-process itself was one of the most valuable aspects of the senior project class. We suggest that you organize peer groups either by topic or by method. Students participating in the peer process may use scheduled class periods to meet with a small group of two or three other students to discuss project conceptualization, research strategies, review drafts of product sections, and run through their final presentations. We recommend that you also use these meetings to review timelines and hold each other to deadline commitments. You may also schedule peer meetings with an instructor during this time. Hearing instructor comments on a peer’s project may help you further think through your own project.

To receive credit for the peer process, please ask your peer group members to fill out and sign an evaluation form linked to the Moodle site. Be sure to confirm that a form has been submitted on your behalf. If you are working jointly on a project, your partner is not considered your peer collaborator for grading purposes.

Professionalism (10 points) You are expected to attend all class meetings including the presentations of all your peers. As a professional, you are of course expected to arrive on time. In addition, you are expected to make active, thoughtful and respectful contributions at our meetings. Your overall class professionalism will factor into this grade. Own your work – it’s your senior project. Make it shine as an example of what you can do!

3 Grading Scale A = 93-100 % A- = 90-92 B+ = 87-89 B = 83-86 B- = 80-82 C+ = 77-79

C= 73-76 C- = 70-72 D+ = 67-69 D = 63-66 D- 60-62 F = 0-59

Minimum Grade Sociology students must earn a grade of C or above to meet degree requirements.

Estimated Outside Class Time Students hoping to earn an “A” in this class can anticipate spending an average of 12-15 hours each week on outside class activities: reading, writing, editing and redrafting work and helping your peers. I encourage you to schedule and use this preparation time starting in the first week so that you can make the most of this seminar.

Students with Disabilities This syllabus was designed using recommended practices for creating accessible word documents. If you have suggestions regarding improving the accessibility of this document or other content for this class, please contact me. Persons who wish to request disability-related accommodations should contact the Student Disability Resource Center in House 71, 826-4678 (voice) or 826-5392 (TDD). Some accommodations may take up to several weeks to arrange. http://www.humboldt.edu/disability/

Add Drop Policy Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or adding classes. http://www.humboldt.edu/~reg/regulations/schedadjust.html

Emergency Evacuation Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom posted on the orange signs and review http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/emergencyops/campus_emergency_preparedness.php for information on campus Emergency Procedures. During an emergency, information can be found campus conditions at: 826-INFO or www.humboldt.edu/emergency

Academic Honesty Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding academic honesty: http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/academic_honesty.php

Attendance and Classroom Behavior Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior: http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/attendance_behavior.php

4 Soc 492 Course Schedule & Reading Instructor Silvaggio Spring 2015 Assignments Assignments Class Topics Due Due Empirical Projects Literature Projects Week 1 Overview of Class; Review 1/19 M Project Plans; Peer Group 1/21 W Organization IRB CITI Certification (if required) Week 2 IRB Project Timeline Project Timeline 1/26 M Meet in Library 121 on 1/28 10 more annotations for Database Orientation Total 20 (3) 1/28 W IRB Proposal Draft, OR Methods & Instrument (3) Week 3 IRB Committee Chair Q&A Draft of Literature Review 2/2 M IRB Proposal Revision Review Literature Review (3) 2/4 W Tips Week 4 Catch up and Peer Group 2/9 M Check in 2/11 W Week 5 2/16 M Career: Resume Building 2/18 W Career: How to Work a Room Week 6 10 more annotations (3) Draft of Literature Review (Data Collection) 2/23 M incorporating at least 30 sources (3) 2/25 W 9-11 a.m. Employer & Alumni Panel Week 7 (Data Collection) How is it going? 3/2 M Literature Review Draft (3) Share first transcripts 3/4 W Peer Group Check in Week 8 Working with Qualitative 15 more annotations 3/9 M Data Total 45 (3) 3/11 W Setting Up SPSS Files 3/16-3/20 Spring Break Week 9 Specialized Meetings on All Data (3) Revision of Literature 3/23 M Data Analysis Review (3) 3/25 W Week 10 Trouble Shooting and Peer Data Section Draft (3) 3/30 M Group Check in 4/1 W Week 11 What do we need now? Continue reading and 4/6 M Sign Up integrating sources 4/8 W for Practice & Final

5 Presentations Week 12 4/13 M Presenting Your Research 4/15 W Week 13 4/20 M Practice Presentations 4/22 W Week 14 Practice Presentations 4/27 M Attend Internship Students 4/29 W Poster Session Week 15 Attend Senior Thesis 5/4 M Presentations 5/6 W Finals Week Attend Senior Thesis Peer Evaluations Due Peer Evaluations Due May 11-15 Presentations Time TBA Final Paper Due Final Paper Due