Social Justice COURSE SYLLABUS Term: Fall 2014 Course #: RLST 110 G Instructor Information: Instructor Name Reverend Timothy L. Dotson Office Number: Room 531 Phone Number: 773 710-4192 Email: Tdotson2@ccsj.edu Other Contact : Hours Available: By appointment M.A, Ministry, McCormick Theological Seminary Chicago Il. M.S., Public Safety Administration Calumet College of Saint Joseph, Whiting In. B.S., Law Enforcement Management Calumet College of Saint Joseph, Whiting In. Course Information: Course Time: Tuesday/Thursday 10:15 until 11:45 Classroom: 263 Prerequisites: None Textbooks: Dr. Cornell West, Race Matters Learning Outcomes/ Competencies: 1. To explain various concepts of justice; 2. To analyze current social justice issues; 3. To explain your role as an individual within a variety of communities; 4. To demonstrate familiarity with the hundred twenty year social teaching of Catholics and other persons of faith; 5. To help your community through a service project; 6. To explain the impact of your service on your community and yourself. 7. to rationalize God's presence during situations of social injustice.
Course Description: This course focuses on reading and discussion of social justice issues. There is also an emphasis on college-level skills. This course includes ten hours of community service learning. This course must be taken in the student s first semester at the College. Learning Strategies: (Blackboard, Videos from YouTube, reading, paper writing, research reports, committee meetings, technology, Service Learning, Group Discussions, Team Projects, Collaborative Learning, Lecturing etc.) Experiential Learning Opportunities; Students will have the option of participating in one of the two service projects being offered. Habitat for Humanity offers students an opportunity to assist in the repairing of homes in the impoverished community of West Pullman in Chicago. The tentatively scheduled project date is Saturday October 18, 2014. Formative Assessments: Assessments: There will be one quiz for the semester. The quiz will be an essay question quiz and is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday September 16, 2014. There will also be an oral mid-term examination administered on Thursday October 2, 2014. There will be an Oral Interview final assessment, accompanied by a 750 word research paper. Summative Assessments: There is a group community service project tentatively scheduled for Saturday October 18, 2014. The project is to work with Habitat for Humanity and repair low income homes in Chicago s west Pullman community Homework: Homework assignments will consist primarily of weekly 250 word written compositions, pertaining to the subject matter discussed in class. All homework is due on Thursday at the start of the class. Please submit all homework assignments in person. Emailing homework assignments will delay the return of graded material. Assignments: Quiz Oral Mid-term Final Oral Exam Community project participation Homework Compositions 1 thru 10 10% of grade 15% of grade 35% of grade 20% of grade 20% of grade Assignments: Assignments; Descri ption Due Date
Day One; Tuesday September 2, 2014 Course Introduction Review of the Syllabus and School Policies What is Social Justice? Homework; Assignment #1; Write a 250 word composition on the definition of social justice within your own context. Day Two; Thursday September 4, 2014 Collect homework assignment #1. Open Discussion on Cornel West's book, Race Matters. Read in class Chapter 5 pgs.93-99. Beyond Affirmative Action: Equality and Identity. Convene a panel discussion on affirmative action, considering both the pros and cons on the topic. Day Three; Tuesday September 9, 2014 Watch the You Tube video of the debate between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Open the discussion of which activist was more similar to Jesus Christ and why? Homework Assignment #2: Write a 250 word composition on who was the most effective in the debate between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Consider which side, if any would you have joined based upon viewing the debate. Day Four; 11, 2014 Thursday September Collect homework assignment #2. Read in class Chapter 3 pgs. 53-70 of Cornel West's book, Race Matters. Open discussion on the reading, The Crisis of Black Leadership. How does the plight of black leadership affect the rest of society? Homework: read the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 21. Please refer to blackboard for the reading. Day Five; (Quiz) Tuesday September 16, 2014 Open class with a quiz on Matthew Chapter 21 Discussion of Jesus Christ's actions in the temple as recorded in the pericope. Was Jesus Christ staging a form of civil disobedience? Homework: Write a 250 composition on Christ's actions described in Matthew 21:12 and discuss if this is the picture of Christ that you envision? Day Six; Thursday September 18, 2014 Collect homework assignment #3. Sign up for service project assignments; Open discussion dealing with fair labor practices, Dealing with Pope Leo XIII and the Industrial Revolution. Lecture on the historical period of Pope Leo XIII and the unfair labor practices that
existed Day Seven; Tuesday September 23, 2014 Lecture and discussion on police brutality; Watch You Tube videos on Police brutality, and open a discussion on who is policing the police? Deal with recent deaths caused by police such as Travonn Martin; Homework; write a 250 word composition on the effects of police brutality in your community, and your experiences with the police. Day Eight; Thursday September 25, 2014 Collect homework assignment #4. Read the book of Daniel Chapter 3, and then open a discussion relating to freedom of religion, and the abuse of power and authority. Homework; Write a 250 word composition relating to the freedom of religion, and your religious rights. Discuss the government's role in biblical times, and now. Consider no prayer in public schools. Day Nine; Tuesday September 30, 2014 Collect homework assignment #5. Open the class with a clip of the television show, The Borgias. How has the Papacy evolved in its thinking from the Era of Pope Alexander VI until the present Papacy of Pope Francis. Homework: Review all lecture notes in preparation for quiz. Day Ten: (Oral Examination) 2, 2014 Thursday October Comprehensive review exam. Student will not be allowed to use their notes. Day Eleven: 7, 2014 Tuesday October Discussion on same sex marriage, and equality. Dealing with homosexuality from a biblical perspective. Read Leviticus Chapter 20 in class. Are people born gay? Homework; Write a 250 word composition on Gay rights and equality. Discuss your views on gay marriage, and civil unions as well as the right to adopt children. Also discuss if the church should be forced to marry homosexual couples. Day Twelve: Thursday October 9, 2014
Collect homework assignment #6. Read Chapter One, pgs. 17-31 of Cornel West's book Race Matters in class. Convene a panel discussion on Nihilism in Black America. Determine the differences between nihilism in the black community in comparison to other communities. Homework assignment #7. Write a 250 word composition on your view of nihilism, and discuss ways in which the religious community could change society's nihilistic views. Day Thirteen; Tuesday October 13, 2014 Collect homework assignment #7 Read Chapter 8 of Race Matters pgs. 135-151. Lead discussion on Malcolm X and black rage. Parallel current events such as the Travonn Martin shooting with the reading. Day Fourteen; Saturday October 18, 2014 Community Service Project with Habitat for Humanity in Chicago's west Pullman neighborhood. Extra credit assignment. Write a one-page paper on the Habitat for Humanity project experience. Give a detailed account of your assigned responsibilities. Day Fifteen; Tuesday October 21, 2014 Lecture and discussion on Immigration, lecture on the methodology of arrival, and how governmental policies differ for Haitians, and Cubans, and Mexicans. Include You tube video on deportation. Homework Assignment # 8. Write a 250 word composition on your views on immigration reform. Discuss ways to simplify and shorten the process. Day Sixteen; Thursday October 23, 2014 Collect homework assignment #8. Today's lecture and discussion will focus on hate groups. Watch you tube videos of the Klu Klux Klan, and Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Orchestrate a panel discussion identifying both similarities and differences between the groups. Day Seventeen; Tuesday October 28, 2014 Lecture and discussion on the current situation with incarceration and the privatization of the nation's penal institutions. Include You tube videos pertaining to doing time. Discuss how major characters of the Bible were incarcerated during periods. Jesus Christ, Paul, and John. Draw a parallel of how their prison experiences would mirror incarceration today. Include in the discussion Nelson Mandela.
Day Eighteen; 30, 2014 Thursday October Host guest lecturer concerning living with HIV. Mr. London Benton of the Chicago Board of Health. Homework #9. Write a 250 word composition on Mr. Benton's lecture. Discuss your prejudices and concerns, prior to the lecture, and post lecture thoughts. Discuss HIV in comparison to leprosy of biblical times. Day Nineteen; Tuesday November 4, 2014 Collect Homework assignment #9. Lecture and discussion on Euthanasia, dying with dignity. Discussion will include videos pertaining to the Hemlock Society, and Dr. Kevorkian. Show Clip of Million Dollar Baby. Final Homework assignment. Write a 250 word composition on euthanasia. Answer the question, if people should be allowed to die on their own terms. Discuss what the Catholic church's views would be concerning euthanasia. Day Twenty; Thursday November 6, 2014 Lecture and discussion on Rape and Sexual Domestic violence. You tube videos will be used in the discussion. Questions such as, Can a husband rape his wife? will be discussed. Day Twenty-one; 11, 2014 Tuesday November Each student will select a chapter of Cornel West's book entitled Race Matters to write a 3 page essay and a final oral presentation on. The student will also receive a tentative date to submit the paper and conduct an oral presentation. Day Twenty-Two; Thursday November 13, 2014 Lecture and panel discussion concerning abortion rights. Discuss the Catholic Church s views on abortion as well as the government s views on abortion. Discuss unwanted pregnancies from acts of rape, molestation and incest. Day Twenty-Three; Tuesday November 18, 2014 Lecture and panel discussion of regarding the legalization of Marijuana. Talk about its use for
medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Discuss the possible links to marijuana usage and criminal activity. Day Twenty-Four; Thursday November 20, 2014 Lecture and panel discussion on legalized gambling. Discuss the connection between casinos and organized crime. How does legalized gambling affect where you live? Day Twenty-Five Tuesday November 25, 2014 Lecture on the double standards of the law, and how factors such as race, sexual gender and financial disposition can determine the outcome of cases. Read the Gospel of John Chapter 8, and discuss the parallel between biblical times and today. Day Twenty-Six Tuesday November 27, 2014 No Class Thanksgiving Holiday! Day Twenty-Seven Tuesday December 2, 2014 All written final papers must be submitted for grading. Late papers will be penalized an entire letter grade. Oral interviews will begin. Interviews will be conducted in alphabetical order of student s last name. Students will not be allowed to go out of sequence with a penalty on the final interview grade. Day Twenty-Eight Thursday December 4, 2014 Complete the oral final interviews. Grading Scale Grade Points A 100-92 A- 91-90
B+ 89-88 B 87-82 B- 81-80 C+ 79-78 C 77-72 C- 71-70 D+ 69-68 D 67-62 D- 61-60 F 59 and below Policies and Procedures Class Policy on Attendance: Intellectual growth and success in college is reinforced through interaction in the classroom. Students reach personal goals and course outcomes through regular and prompt attendance. If a student is absent five (5) times The student s final grade will drop one full letter grade. If the student absent six times, the student will be subjected to a grade of F or FW per policy stated under the Withdrawal from Classes section on this syllabus. Class Policy on Electronic Devices Class Participation: Statement of Plagiarism: Cell phones and other media devices will be allowed provided that they are not a distraction to the class. Whereas no grade is officially offered for class participation, a student s participation could be the determinant as to whether a higher grade is granted. If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances. PLEASE NOTE: All papers can and may be submitted for checks on plagiarism from the Internet/Electronic sources/databases. Citation Guidelines: Calumet College of St. Joseph uses citation guidelines, generally MLA or APA format, to document sources quoted or paraphrased in student papers. Check the syllabus for each course to see what each instructor requires. The Library has reference copies of each manual; the Follett has copies for sale when required by the instructor. In addition, there are brief MLA and APA checklists in your spiral Student Handbook and Planner and on the Library website and literature rack. These texts show how to cite references from many sources, including electronic
media, as well as how to space and indent the Works Cited and References pages respectively. EBSCO and ProQuest articles provide both formats for you to copy and paste. Proper documentation avoids plagiarism. Withdrawal from Classes Policy: After the last day established for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which they are registered and wish to discontinue. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be completed with the Office of Academic Advising and filed with the Registrar. The Office of Academic Advising must receive written request for withdrawal by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests should be submitted in person or, when an in-person visit is not possible, may be mailed to the Office of Academic Advising, emailed, or faxed to 219-473- 4336. Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. If the request requires instructor approval per the College calendar, it must be forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored by the faculty member, the student will receive notification of official withdrawal from the Registrar after meeting or speaking with a member from Academic Advising, Financial Aid and Athletics (if applicable). These departments will notify the student of academic, financial, and athletic eligibility effects of a possible withdrawal. If the request is denied by the faculty member, the notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Please note that if the request does not require instructor approval, the student must still meet or speak with a member from Academic Advising, Financial Aid and Athletics (if applicable) before the withdrawal will be processed. An official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript. Discontinuing a course without a written request for withdrawal automatically incurs an "FW" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule). Failure to Withdraw (FW) is indicated when the student does not complete withdrawal paperwork with the Office of Academic Advising nor does the student notify the instructor of their intent to withdraw due to an illness, accident, grievous personal loss, or other circumstances beyond the student s control. This grade is submitted by the instructor at the end of term. Student Success Center: Resources The Student Success Center supports Calumet College of St. Joseph students through an interactive learning experience. Students work with faculty tutors to develop course competencies and study skills such as time management, test preparation, and note taking. In addition, students are provided with tutoring support to help pass courses, to improve grade point average, and to promote continuing education and career advancement. Tutors have a specific charge: to help students learn how to master specific subject matter and to develop effective learning skills. The Student Success Center is open to all students at Calumet College of St. Joseph at no charge and is
Disability Services: CCSJ Alert: available to support academic courses at the introductory and advanced levels. For assistance, please contact the Student Success Center at 219 473-4287 or stop by the Library. Disability Services strives to meet the needs of all students by providing academic services in accordance with Americans Disability Act (ADA) guidelines. Students must meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services to complete an intake form in order to request an accommodation and/or an auxiliary aid (e.g., additional time for tests, note taking assistance, special testing arrangements, etc.). It is the student s responsibility to contact the Academic Support Programs Office to request an accommodation at least one month prior to enrollment for each academic term. Students who are requesting an accommodation and/or an auxiliary aid must submit documentation from a professional health care provider to verify eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The cost of obtaining the professional verification is the responsibility of the student. If a student believes that he or she needs a reasonable accommodation of some kind because of a physical, psychological, or mental condition, he or she should contact Disabilities Services. The Coordinator will secure documentation pertinent to the disability and work with faculty and staff, if necessary, to address the matter. All questions and inquiries pertaining to disability services should be directed to the Disability Services Coordinator at 219-473-4349. Calumet College of St. Joseph utilizes an emergency communications system that transmits messages via text, email, and voice platforms. In the event of an emergency, of weather related closings, or of other incidents, those students who are registered for the system shall receive incident specific message(s) notifying them of the situation. Please sign-up for this important service at any time on the College s website. Alternatively, you can register at the time you register for classes. This service requires each user to register once per academic year. Therefore, at the beginning of each academic year, please remember to re-register for the system. This can be done at: http://www.ccsj.edu/alerts/index.html. School Closing Information: Internet: http://www.ccsj.edu http://www.emergencyclosings.com Facility: Calumet College of St. Joseph Phone: 219.473.4770 Radio: WAKE 1500 AM WGN - 720 AM WIJE 105.5 FM WLS 890 AM WZVN 107.1 FM WBBM NEWS RADIO 78 TV Channels: 2, 5, 7, 9, 32