Departmental Honors (POLS 497)

Course Description

The purpose of the course is for students to do a second semester of their capstone project from POLS 476 or another upper division POLS course pre-approved by a student’s faculty research mentor and Department Chair.

Prerequisites

POLS 497 is a research-intensive second semester project for Political Science majors only, and is usually taken the final year/semester and by invitation from the Department of Political Science in order to complete departmental honors. Students will have completed POLS 320 Scope and Methods and POLS 476 before taking this course. Please contact your faculty research mentor/chair if this is not the case.

Course Materials

Through their data collection, students will be producing most of the course content for this course. Any additional course materials and resources will be provided online.

Mission and Program Learning Objectives

The mission of the Department of Political Science at California Lutheran University is to provide a personalized education of distinction that fosters students’ intellectual and critical powers, and develop their capacities to apply the study of politics to the conditions of political life. The six program goals (PLOs) are:

• Analyze the relationship between ethics and politics;
• Evaluate politics through individual powers of inquiry and critical thought;
• Understand a breadth of knowledge about the world and its diversity;
• Apply theories of politics to the practice of everyday life;
• Understand at least one primary research method appropriate to the study of politics; and
• Create an original project that explores a selected area of investigation to the broader study of politics.

Student Learning Outcomes

The Department of Political Science is informed by the following AACU’s VALUES rubrics and other sources to assess program course objectives:¹

• Oral and written communication skills (PLOs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
• Information literacy (PLOs 5, 6)
• Creative and critical thinking (PLOs 1, 2, 3, 6)
• Civic engagement and global learning (PLOs 1, 3, 4)
• Inter/cross-cultural competency (PLOs 1, 3, 4)

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:

1. Communicate, verbally and in writing, informed positions about the course material.
2. Identify and utilize primary and secondary sources.
3. Understand and apply key concepts and theories related to research design/implementation, ethics, human subjects, and a selected topic area in the field/discipline.
4. Develop skills that enable students to participate in experiential learning activities, including field research and application of knowledge that can enhance the quality of life in their own communities and beyond through civic engagement and/or global citizenship.
5. Possess a level of self-awareness and skills that enable positive interactions across a multitude of political, economic, and cultural contexts.
6. Create an original research project that contributes to knowledge within the field of Political Science.

Format, Health, and Safety

Course Format & Delivery

This course will be fully in-person so long as it is aligned with public health protocols, which may include vaccination documentation, verification of vaccination waiver, masks covering noses and mouths, social distancing, and any other conditions required by the University. If conditions change, I will adjust the course to deliver the course in a modified teaching modality and inform students as soon as possible.

Health and Safety Protocols

All students must comply with the University’s current and required policies regarding health and safety at all times; otherwise, they may not be allowed on campus and/or unable to attend classes. These policies may include required vaccinations/boosters, proper masking, social distancing, et al. Please see Campus Compact, Daily Health Check, and all policies/updates at https://www.callutheran.edu/know/.

Special note: If you will be unable to attend/participate in class activities due to illness, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can discuss accommodations and/or options. Due to the nature of class discussions and activities, students will not be able to Zoom into class if they are absent.

Course Assignments

The course assignments will be posted and should be submitted through the course website to maintain a record of your work. Never email any assignments without Dr. Hoang’s prior approval. Guidelines, rubrics, and/or samples will be provided for the assignments. Note: All assignments must be completed/graded by Dr. Hoang in order to complete the course.

• Final Project (Paper, Presentation and Reflection): Students will produce a capstone project consisting of a research paper, presentation, and personal reflection of their experience. Capstone Guidelines and Sample Honors Paper are provided online. Worth 50 points/percent of your course grade.
• Weekly Status Updates: Students will conduct research involving field data and other academic sources. Worth 20 points/percent of your course grade.
• Research Presentation: Students will present their project in a research forum, on or off campus, depending on scheduling. Worth 20 points/percent of your course grade.
• Final/Self-assessment: For the final, students will submit a rubric form assessing their learning based on the Political Science Department’s program goals and learning objectives. Worth 10 points/percent of your course grade.
• Class Participation, Attendance and Conduct: This course will be in a seminar-format, which is highly interactive; therefore, everyone is expected to attend classes and participate in the discussions even when they are not presenting their work. Due to contract tracing, attendance will be taken every class meeting. To promote a positive learning environment that is open and trusting, students are expected to be respectful, courteous, and engaging. Any student who engages in disruptive behavior may be asked to leave or escorted out of the classroom.

Policies and Grading

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes. Please note that I will be keeping a record of attendance for my records, in case the information is needed due to an emergency or unexpected events. Special note: If you will be unable to regularly attend classes due to unexpected circumstances like illness, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss options.

Late Policy

Out of fairness to your peers who meet the deadlines, make-up tests/late assignments will only be accepted with my PRIOR approval and for a valid reason – they are not automatic and cannot be assumed once you miss a course assignment. There may be cases when prior notification cannot be provided but those cases must be rare and valid. Any late and/or make-up assignments may carry a penalty that is within my discretion. Please make a special note that final assignments will usually not be accepted after the deadline due to the course grade submission deadline, unless a valid reason is provided.

Grading Scale

Carnegie/Student Workload

Courses must demonstrate compliance with the definition of Carnegie Instructional Hours as well as the out-of-class hours (student preparatory hours). Each credit of a course consists of 1 instructor-led hour a week and 2 student preparatory hours a week, for 15 weeks.^{1, 2}

Note 1: WASC Credit Hour Policy
Note 2: A semester credit hour is normally granted for satisfactory completion of one 50-minute session (contact hour) of classroom instruction per week for a semester of not less than fifteen weeks. This basic measure may be adjusted proportionately to reflect modified academic calendars and formats of study.

Minimum Technical Skills Required

To complete this course, students need to have regular access to high-speed internet access, a lap or desktop, and familiarity with Blackboard, and Microsoft Office.

Technology Requirements for Online Courses (Hardware & Software)

Course Schedule

Please note that the material in the class schedule will usually be covered in the order presented. The assigned readings must be completed before the first meeting of each week but most of the content for this course will be based on the literature review/data collected for your project. The actual timing may change from week to week as the course progresses. Due to unforeseen circumstances, students should check the weekly modules and their Cal Lutheran email on a regular basis to get the most current information. (Note: All assignments must be submitted online and a printed copy brought to class for discussion).