Syllabus - Sections 12 and 20
Fall 2007

Textbook: John T. Rourke, International Politics on the World Stage, Tenth Edition, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2005. (Available in the UW-Whitewater Textbook Rental Library)

Course Description: This course introduces student to the fundamental principles of international relations and politics. Students will be required to learn about a number of current international events in their political, economic, and geographic contexts. The course also presents a number of theoretical approaches to help understand the current events.

With the exception of the textbook noted above, all materials and assignments will be distributed in a Web-based environment called "Desire2Learn." (We will refer to Desire2Learn most of the time simply as "D2L.") Also,tests will be taken in the online environment. It will be important that students check D2L on a daily basis for announcements.

Assignments and Expectations: Students will have the general assignment to do the assigned readings in advance of their discussion in class. Students will also have the responsibility to keep informed of current events in international affairs. Each exam will have a series of current events questions in addition to the questions derived from the lectures and readings.

Reading assignments will be posted on a weekly basis in D2L.

Exams and grades: Students will complete four objective exams during the semester. These exams will be conducted online, and together, they will be worth 96% of the grade for the course. The remaining 4% of the grade will come from class participation. Tentative exam dates for this class are as follows:

Test 1 - Tuesday, September 25th
Test 2 - Thursday, October 23rd
Test 3 - Tuesday, November 20th
Test 4 - As per final exam schedule

These dates may change.

Attendance: Your attendance in this class is expected. Although, I do not penalize students who do not attend on a regular basis, missing class is a bad idea for several reasons:

• You will learn more if you attend class and participate in class discussions.
• You are paying for the class. If you don't attend on a regular basis, you will not get your money's worth.
• Readings are discussed and clarified in class.
• I often include materials in the lectures that are not in the readings, but are on the exams.
• Students who miss class will write a two page summary of the material missed. Students who do not comply with this requirement will receive lowered grades for the course to be determined at my discretion.
  

University Related Rules and Policies

 Absence for University Sponsored Events: University policy adopted by Faculty Senate and the Whitewater Student Government states that students will not be academically penalized for missing class in order to participate in university sanctioned events. They will be provided an opportunity to make up any work that is missed; and if class attendance is a requirement, missing a class in order to participate in a university sanctioned event will not be counted as an absence. A university sanctioned event is defined to be any intercollegiate athletic contest or other such event as determined by the Provost. Activity sponsors are responsible for obtaining the Provost's prior approval of an event as being university sanctioned and for providing an official list of participants. Students are responsible for notifying their instructors in advance of their participation in such events.

Academic Misconduct: The University believes that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental to the mission of higher education and of the University of Wisconsin System. The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonest Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors. Students who violate these standards are subject to disciplinary action. UWS Chapter 14 identifies procedures to be followed when a student is accused of academic misconduct. For additional information, please refer to the section in the Student Handbook itled, Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures.

Religious Beliefs Accommodation: Board of Regents policy states that students' sincerely held religious beliefs shall be reasonably accommodated with respect to scheduling all examinations and other academic requirements. Students must notify the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of classes (within the first week of summer session and short courses) of the specific days or dates on which they will request accommodation from an examination or academic requirement. For additional information, please refer to the section in the University Bulletin and the Timetable titled, Accommodation of Religious Beliefs.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive and non-discriminatory learning environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with University policies regarding Special Accommodations, Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodation, Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events. (For details please refer to the Undergraduate and Graduate Timetables; the "Rights and Responsibilities" section of the Undergraduate Bulletin; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate Bulletin; and the "Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures" [UWS Chapter 14]; and the "Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures" [UWS Chapter 17]).