Community Politics and Public Relations

Course Details

Course Number: EDLE 5663 Spring 2011

Location: Ferguson Hall

Classroom Number: 306

Days & Times:

Internet class

Course Attachments

Textbooks

MSU Faculty Member

Dr. Jane Owen
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Course Objectives

ELCC Standards

To be able to assess school culture (ELCC 2.1)
To be able to manage operations (ELCC 3.2)
To be able to manage resources (ELCC 3.3)
To be able to collaborate with families and other community members (ELCC 4.1)
To be able to respond to community interests and needs (ELCC 4.2)
To be able to mobilize community resources (ELCC 4.3)
To be able to act with integrity, fairly and ethically (ELCC 5.1, 5.2, 5.3)
To be able to understand the larger context (ELCC 6.1)
To be able to respond to the larger context (ELCC 6.2)
To be able to influence the larger context (ELCC 6.3)

TExES Standards

The principal knows how to advocate, nurture, and sustain an instructional program and a campus culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. (TExES 005)
The principal knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem solving

skills to ensure an effective learning environment.(TExES 007)

The principal knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical and legal manner. (TExES 003)
The principal knows how to communicate and collaborate with all members of the school community, respond to diverse interests and needs, and mobilize resources to promote student success. (TExES 002)

Course Expectations

Course Requirements

Regular contact is expected. Please monitor your WebCT/Blackboard email at least every 24 hours in order to maintain contact with your instructor.
A class blog will be developed. Instructions or information for the class as a whole will be posted on the blog. This is also a good method for you to contact the other class members. Please check the blog regularly to be sure you are aware of what is going on.

Your grade will be made up of the following assignments:

Assignment	Type of Activity	Percentage of grade
Weekly assignments	Written or presented	55% (5% for each weekly assignment)
Communication (responsiveness on blog, assigned feedback to class members, responsiveness to my emails, etc.)	electronic	10%
Community Relations Plan	Presentation Portfolio	15% 20%

Quality Requirements:

“Turning in” all assignments is not enough to insure an “A” in the course. Quality and timeliness of work are the most important criteria for receiving an “A.”

Expectations:

Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling are expected on all written assignments (web discussions are not held to the high standard of a research paper or other written assignments).
Written assignments should be done on a word processor in Microsoft Word and submitted through the WebCT/Blackboard assignment drop box. If you do not have Microsoft Word 97-2003 or 2007, you can save your file as an rtf [Rich Text File}.
Due dates should be honored in order to receive the highest grade.
The West College of Education uses the style manual from APA (American Psychological Association), 6^th edition. You will need this manual throughout the program.
Professional dialogue opportunities: because this is an on-line class, it would be easy to feel isolated. Research shows that professional learning communities are a powerful venue for learning and, therefore, we will use our technology to create this kind of learning community. It is critical that you participate thoughtfully and meaningfully in weekly discussions and any other on-line opportunities to discuss the subject matter and share ideas.
Time commitment: In a face-to-face class, you would spend 3 hours in a classroom setting per week plus approximately 2 hours in preparation for each hour in class (total: 6 hours). Therefore, it is possible to expect that you will spend up to 9 hours each week on this class. In reality, this amount of time will probably not be necessary for most students. Some weeks, the time requirement may be more; some weeks, it may be less.

Grading Standards

Your grade will be made up of the following assignments:

Assignment	Type of Activity	Percentage of grade
Weekly assignments	Written or presented	55% (5% for each weekly assignment)
Communication (responsiveness on blog, assigned feedback to class members, responsiveness to my emails, etc.)	electronic	10%
Community Relations Plan	Presentation Portfolio	15% 20%

Final Exam5/12/2011 7:00 pm

Submission Format Policy

Written assignments should be done on a word processor in Microsoft Word and submitted through the WebCT/Blackboard assignment drop box. If you do not have Microsoft Word 97-2003 or 2007, you can save your file as an rtf [Rich Text File}.

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Late Paper Policy

Due dates should be honored in order to receive the highest grade.

Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception. Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student. We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed. Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, 397-4140.

Safe Zones Statement The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Contacting your Instructor All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MWSU e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Attendance Requirements

Expectations:

Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling are expected on all written assignments (web discussions are not held to the high standard of a research paper or other written assignments).
Written assignments should be done on a word processor in Microsoft Word and submitted through the WebCT/Blackboard assignment drop box. If you do not have Microsoft Word 97-2003 or 2007, you can save your file as an rtf [Rich Text File}.
Due dates should be honored in order to receive the highest grade.
The West College of Education uses the style manual from APA (American Psychological Association), 6^th edition. You will need this manual throughout the program.
Professional dialogue opportunities: because this is an on-line class, it would be easy to feel isolated. Research shows that professional learning communities are a powerful venue for learning and, therefore, we will use our technology to create this kind of learning community. It is critical that you participate thoughtfully and meaningfully in weekly discussions and any other on-line opportunities to discuss the subject matter and share ideas.
Time commitment: In a face-to-face class, you would spend 3 hours in a classroom setting per week plus approximately 2 hours in preparation for each hour in class (total: 6 hours). Therefore, it is possible to expect that you will spend up to 9 hours each week on this class. In reality, this amount of time will probably not be necessary for most students. Some weeks, the time requirement may be more; some weeks, it may be less.

Plagiarism Statement

“By enrolling in this course, the student expressly grants MSU a ‘limited right’ in all intellectual property created by the student for the purpose of this course. The ‘limited right’ shall include but shall not be limited to the right to reproduce the student’s work product in order to verify originality, authenticity, and educational purposes.” from Student Handbook

Writing Proficiency Requirement All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed English 1113 and English 1123 and 2) earned 60 hours. You may meet this requirement by passing either the Writing Proficiency Exam or English 2113. Please keep in mind that, once you've earned over 90 hours, you lose the opportunity to take the $25 exam and have no option but to enroll in the three-credit hour course. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at http://academics.mwsu.edu/wpr, or call 397-4131.