Syllabus

Course Syllabus: Social Movements

Instructor and About the Course

Contact Information

Name:

Email:

Instructor Bio and Welcome: See the Course Home and Start Here pages.

The course schedule is here. more details for weekly readings and assignments are in each unit's overview page in the modules.

Course description

This course investigates communication’s role in seeking social change, specifically social change for social justice. We will focus on social movements and how they connect to groups, identity, and resistance. Through a lens of communication – discourse between people and in society – we will make sense of common aspects of social movements using academic and non-academic examples to demonstrate the theories and concepts we discuss.

Course Objectives

Understand in detail the historical, social, and communicative contexts of several social justice movements.
Examine and explain how theories and concepts of communication and other disciplines apply to social justice social movements
Demonstrate ethical empathy and critical thinking related to the analysis of social justice social movements.
Evaluate a social justice movement organization’s communication strategy, articulate your critique for a non-academic audience, and propose recommendations for their strategies.

Course Outline

Our course is 14 weeks long and consists of 5 units. See the Schedule for a more complete outline. Weeks may be eliminated or combined to accommodate a full semester, trimester, quarter or monthlong course.

Required Texts

All readings for this course will be posted to or linked to on Canvas.

Class Time Expectations

Online courses require engaging with materials and one another on a regular basis. Expect to log in to the course a minimum of 3 days a week (likely more), for long enough to read discussions, make substantive comments, and ensure you are engaging with the course and peers.

Online students should expect to spend the same number of hours actively participating online as in an in-person course. For example, a course that is 3 credit hours during a 15-week semester expects students to spend 3 hours “in class” each week and an additional 6 hours of course work each week, a total of 9 hours a week—135 hours for the semester. In shorter semesters, students are expected to complete the same amount of work (135 hours) for the same number of credits (3), requiring more hours/week to meet the standard.

14 weeks: 9.75 hours/week
10 weeks: 13.5 hours/week
7 week: 19.25 hours/week

Assignments and Grading

Submission Policies

Insert submission policies here.

Assignments

Point Breakdown

Reading Responses (7 x 10pts each, drop lowest) 60
Weekly Discussions (11 x 25pts each, drop lowest 1) 250
Unit Assignments "Choose Your Own Adventure" (3 x 75 pts + 5pt survey) 225
Social Movement Organization Consultant Project (multiple steps) 250
Course Participation and Community (50)
Total points: 775

Assignment Overviews

Reading Responses: These are low-stakes, short write-ups to help you work through assigned course materials to better understand concepts. See the Reading Response Guidelines.
Weekly Discussions: In most weeks of class, you'll aim to interact with peers connecting course concepts to the world around you. Most weeks require at least 4 separate discussion posts across at least three days of the week, Wednesday - Sunday. The lowest score is dropped, so you can safely miss a week of discussion. See the Discussion Guidelines.
Unit Assignments: Units 2, 3, and 4 wrap up with a Unit Assignment that asks you to engage with social issues and community.
Social Movement Organization Consultant Project (multiple steps): The final unit of this semester is oriented toward applying what you've learned by completing a case study of a social movement organization, focused on their current persuasive strategies and what suggestions you have for improving them, based on what you've learned in class.

Grading Criteria

May insert own grading criteria in addition or replacement of the following criteria:

Assignments are graded with an eye toward correctness, clarity, creativity, consideration, credibility, and, of course, timeliness. Points are earned, with the expectation that A’s take significant work above and beyond the basic requirements of the assignment.
• TIMELINESS: Discussion posts are not accepted after the posting period has ended, with no exceptions. You must take part in the discussion when others are in order for it to be a discussion. With prior notice, I am happy to adjust your timeline for other assignments. Because all due dates and assignments are posted at the start of our course, I do not otherwise accept late work.
• CORRECTNESS: Are you using course concepts correctly? Have you met all aspects of the assignment and followed directions?
• CLARITY: Are you stating your work clearly and concisely? Is it well organized, and uses headings and transition sentences to help guide the reader? Does it have clear spelling and grammar (even if not standardized English grammar), understandable by the reader? Have you explicitly explained how that example you used demonstrates course concepts in action, showing the reader your thinking?
• CREATIVITY: Are you going beyond the minimum of the assignment to bring fresh and insightful perspectives and examples to the conversation? If you believe an assignment can be done in a different way that draws on your talents, suggest it, explaining how you believe it still meets the requirements and learning objectives of the assignment.
• CONSIDERATION: Have you considered information from multiple perspectives and sources? Have you paid attention to what’s already been said in this conversation and are striving to go further? Are you being intentional and respectful in your language use? Have you taken into account how concepts from earlier or other classes apply?
• CREDIBILITY: Are you making credible arguments to support your points, backed by valid evidence? Have you clearly and correctly cited all your sources? Remember, ALL information that is not general knowledge should be cited, and specific concepts and theories developed by people who are not you need to be cited.
o Required Citation Format: Follow one citation style (MLA/APA/Chicago Manual of Style) throughout the course of the semester. Here are details on style manuals.

Grading Scale

Grades are based on completeness, correctness, coherence, creativity, and timeliness. They are earned, not given. A “C” grade means completing the expectations of the assignment, a “B” signals exemplary work, and an “A” signals excellent work that needs almost no improvement of any element. Letter grades are determined using the following scale:

94% + = A Superior work. Almost flawless. Difficult to improve upon.
90 to 93% = A- Excellent work.
87 to 89% = B+ Very good work. Diligence and attention to detail are evident.
84 to 86% = B Good quality of work.
80 to 83% = B- Might need minor revision and reworking, but conceptually sound.
77 to 79% = C+ Student needs to apply concepts more directly.
70 to 76% = C Meets requirements, but may lack development of elements.
67 to 69% = D+ Requirements fulfilled, but lack of effort is present.
60 to 66% = D Barely fulfills minimum requirements.
Below 59% = F Does not fulfill requirements for a passing grade.

See the Class Engagement & Discussion Board Guidelines page for a detailed discussion board rubric.

Course Policies

May insert additional policies or delete policies as needed.

Communication

Please refer to our course site as your go-to for any questions on deadlines and assignment details. If you review the course site and still have questions, please email me. If that question is better answered during office hours, please set up a time to meet with me using the link provided on the home page. I do not check email before 9am or after 5pm on weekdays and try my best not to check it over the weekends, please plan accordingly. Please allow up to 2 business days for a response via email (I, like many of your instructors, have over 60 students so email is a full-time job :p). If you do not receive a response from me after 2 days, please send me a nudge!

**Please include your course # in the subject line, as well as a few words about your email’s content. Never send an empty email with attachments, and do not turn in assignments through email.

Addressing One Another

You are welcome to call me Emily or Dr. Emily. I use the pronouns she/her/hers (see why pronouns matter). From the beginning of our semester together I will check in with each of you about your preferred names and pronouns and will honor and use those. Please help me do so. Outside of class, you can contact me via email, which I aim to respond within 48 hours. This may take longer over weekends or holidays.

A Note on Mental Health

I care deeply about the mental health of my students and recognize that anxiety and depression are on the rise on campuses across the United States. I also recognize it is difficult to keep up with all of our daily responsibilities navigating school, and more so with various mental health issues and illnesses. At the same time, each of us has a responsibility to this course and to our participation in the university. Thus, I encourage any students struggling, or wanting to prevent the struggle, to access the mental health services offered by the university.

*insert campus-specific resources here

Late Work & Grade Appeals

All assignments are due by the date and time listed on Canvas. Weekly Discussions cannot be completed outside of the week they are assigned, with no exceptions. The lowest weekly discussion grade is dropped in order to provide some flexibility for you to miss a week.

Late assignments will receive a 10% reduction for each day the assignment is late. They will be accepted for up to 4 days after the due date (at which point a maximum score of 60% is possible but not guaranteed).

In general, online classes provide significant flexibility for completing assignments. With planning ahead, it is unlikely you should need to request an adjusted due date. Such requests are possible for legitimate reasons (verified health condition, participation in University-sponsored activities, serious and documented family emergencies, religious observance, etc.). If the absence is known ahead of time, you must make arrangements before the date the assignment is due. Note: An email sent on the day the assignment is due, or after, does not count as “making arrangements.”

Complaints/Grade Appeals: We will not discuss your grade on any assignment the day it is returned. We will consider only written appeals for grade changes on assignments or exams, and will schedule an online or phone meeting about the change you propose after receiving the written appeal. Before we meet, please review my feedback and reflect on the tension you see between my evaluation of your work and yours. We shall then discuss your written appeal and your understanding of the concepts involved. You may appeal a grade up to seven (7) business days following the return of the graded assignment (marked from the day it was returned in Canvas feedback).

This policy is intended not to provide obstacles to appeals, but rather is designed to ensure justice to all concerned and allow you to demonstrate mastery over the topics covered.