Course Syllabi
I taught at Florida State University for the first thirteen years of my professional career (1995-2008), and I have been at the University of North Texas ever since. The following syllabi are from the most recent time I taught each course, whether it was at FSU or UNT.
Undergraduate
- PSCI 3810, "International Relations"
- Taught once at UNT (Spring 2009), and currently scheduled for Spring 2010; taught four times at FSU (INR 2002, "Introduction to International Relations").
- I expect to teach this course regularly at UNT, in rotation with my IR colleagues (probably every year or two).
- PSCI 4820, "Geography, History, and International Relations"
- Taught once at UNT (Fall 2008), and currently scheduled for Spring 2010; taught thirteen times at FSU (INR 3933/3005/3004, "Geography, History, and International Relations").
- I expect to teach this course relatively frequently at UNT (hopefully every year or so).
- PSCI 4821, "International Conflict"
- Taught once at UNT (Spring 2009); taught eight times at FSU (INR 4083, "International Conflict").
- I expect to teach this course relatively frequently at UNT (hopefully every year or so).
- PSCI 3300, "Introduction to Political Research"
- Taught once at FSU (POS 3731, "Understanding Political Science Research" a.k.a. "Research Methods").
- I will probably teach this course occasionally at UNT.
- INR 3603, "Theories of International Relations"
- Taught seven times at FSU.
- There is no direct equivalent for this course at UNT, so I probably won't teach this course any time soon.
- POS 3931, "Broward Hall Seminar in International Affairs"
- Taught twice at FSU.
- There is no direct equivalent for this course at UNT, so I probably won't teach this course any time soon.
Graduate
- PSCI 5810, "Proseminar in International Relations"
- Taught four times at FSU (INR 5007, "Core Seminar in International Relations").
- I will probably teach this course occasionally at UNT.
- PSCI 5820, "Contexts and International Relations"
- Scheduled for Fall 2009 at UNT; taught five times at FSU (INR 5934/5014, "Contexts and International Relations").
- I expect to teach this course relatively frequently at UNT (hopefully every several years).
- PSCI 5820, "International Conflict"
- Taught three times at FSU (INR 5088, "International Conflict").
- I expect to teach this course relatively frequently at UNT (hopefully every several years).
- PSCI 5340, "Political Science Scope and Methods"
- Taught once at FSU (POS 5736, "Research Design" a.k.a. "Methods I").
- I may teach this course occasionally at UNT, but there are plenty of other faculty who are capable of teaching this course, so it may be a while.
Other
- Drawing from my experience teaching PSCI 4820 and PSCI 5820 (both listed above), I was asked to give a presentation on Borders and Correlates of War (this link is to a .zip archive containing both the handout and the PowerPoint presentation itself) at a short course on borders held before the 2006 APSA conference in Philadelphia.
Classroom Policies
General Expectations
(1) Students are expected to attend class regularly, even when attendance is not an explicit part of the course's grade. If you are not responsible enough to come to class regularly, or if you feel that you have higher priorities in life than attending a lecture for which (or your parents) are paying good money, then do not be surprised if the instructor starts to show you the same amount of respect that you have shown for him or her.
(2) Students are expected to be present at the beginning of the class period. Students who interrupt class by showing up in the middle of a lecture are being rude and inconsiderate to both the instructor and their fellow classmates. For this reason, if attendance is taken or if a quiz is given it will probably be done at the start of class, and any student who is not present at that time will be considered absent or will receive a failing grade for the quiz.
(2a) Students who attend class are expected to remain in class until the end of the class period, rather than disturbing the other students and interrupting class by leaving in the middle of lecture. The instructor reserves the right to mark absent a student who leaves during the middle of class, unless the student has explained the situation to the instructor before the beginning of class.
(3) Students are expected to have read the assigned material before coming to class. Each student in class will benefit from having read the material before hearing my lecture, because the lecture will be reinforcing prior knowledge instead of introducing new topics. The entire class also benefits when students are prepared -- the quality of discussion will be higher, students can ask better questions, and the class period will not be burdened by a focus on basic issues that should have been answered by the readings.
(4) Inside the classroom, students are expected to devote their full attention to the course. This means that distractions like newspapers, magazines, beepers, and cellular phones will not be tolerated. If you insist on reading the newspaper or being accessible by beeper or cell phone during the class period, please do so at home (or somewhere else outside of the classroom); such activities only serve to disrupt the course and to distract people who really want to be there. This also means that talking with your neighbors or passing notes during class will not be tolerated. If you absolutely must talk about last night's party or your plans for the weekend, please do so outside of the classroom, so that you do not disturb students who actually attend class in order to learn the material.
Course Rules
(1) Make-up examinations are given only with prior instructor approval and with appropriate documentation, and take place only during final exam week. Note that the documentation must indicate why you could not be in class at the exact time of the test.
(2) Failure to complete any paper assignment or failure to take any exam will result in a failing grade for the entire course; a passing grade requires completion of all course requirements. Late work will be accepted up to one week after the assignment was originally due, but with a substantial penalty (one letter grade per day that it is late). Note that no assignments, documentation, or other items will be accepted after the course's final exam.
(3) Students must keep an extra copy of each assignment until the instructor has returned the graded copy of that assignment. Students must also keep graded, returned copies of all assignments. Failure to do so will invalidate any potential question or protest about grades.
(4) All students must treat the instructor, the other students, and the classroom setting with respect. This includes arriving on time and staying for the entire class (or notifying the instructor in advance if this will not be possible), turning off cell phones and similar devices during class, and refraining from reading, passing notes, talking with friends, and any other potentially disruptive activities. This also means showing respect for alternative opinions and points of view, listening when either the instructor or a fellow student is speaking to the class, and refraining from insulting language and gestures.
(5) The instructor's lecture notes and PowerPoint slides will not be posted online or otherwise handed out to students under any circumstances. If you are unable to attend one or more class meetings, make arrangements with another student to borrow or copy their notes.
(6) Failure to abide by these policies will be dealt with in an appropriate manner, which may include a reduction in the course grade. Any exceptions are given at the instructor's discretion, only with prior approval where possible, and only with appropriate documentation.
(7) The instructor's teaching-related policies and expectations are described in more detail at http://www.paulhensel.org/teachgrade.html. Failure to visit that web site does not constitute a valid excuse for ignorance of these policies. In particular, note that I do not "round up" grades -- an 89.9 counts as a B rather than an A -- and the only extra credit opportunity will be offered in class on the last class period before Thanksgiving (for fall semesters) or spring break (for spring semesters).
(8) The content of this syllabus may be modified by the instructor at any time during the semester if deemed necessary.
Academic Integrity
Departmental Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism
The UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline defines cheating and plagiarism as the use of unauthorized books, notes, or otherwise securing help in a test; copying others' tests, assignments, reports, or term papers; representing the work of another as one's own; collaborating without authority with another student during an examination or in preparing academic work; or otherwise practicing scholastic dishonesty.
Normally, the minimum penalty for cheating or plagiarism is a grade of "F" in the course. In the case of graduate departmental exams, the minimum penalty shall be failure of all fields of the exam. Determination of cheating or plagiarism shall be made by the instructor in the course, or by the field faculty in the case of departmental exams.
Cases of cheating or plagiarism on graduate departmental exams, theses, or dissertations shall automatically be referred to the departmental Graduate Studies Committee. Cases of cheating or plagiarism in ordinary coursework may, at the discretion of the instructor, be referred to the Undergraduate Studies Committee in the case of undergraduate students, or the Graduate Studies Committee in the case of graduate students. These committees, acting as agents of the department Chair, shall impose further penalties, or recommend further penalties to the Dean of Students, if they determine that the case warrants it. In all cases, the Dean of Students shall be informed in writing of the case.
Students may appeal any decision under this policy by following the procedures laid down in the UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline.
Academic Integrity in My Courses
Students should bring possible violations of this student conduct code to the attention of the instructor as soon as possible, so that the violations (if any) may be stopped quickly. Violations include (but are not limited to) the use of unauthorized materials on course assignments or examinations, representing another’s work or any part thereof (published or unpublished) as one’s own, using one's own work for more than one class, assisting another student in committing such an offense, and attempting to commit such an offense. I will act quickly to stop and punish any such offense, consistent with university and departmental guidelines, because these activities give the perpetrators an unfair advantage in course grades and represent a critical challenge to the educational process. At a minimum, the student will receive a failing grade on the assignment in question; depending on the nature and severity of the offense, the student may also receive an automatic failing grade for the course or be referred to appropriate university bodies for further disciplinary action. When in doubt, consult the Citations and Plagiarism page on the instructor's web site for advice on why, when, and how to cite sources consulted for research papers, in order to avoid committing plagiarism (whether intentionally or unintentionally).
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Political Science Department cooperates with the Office of Disability Accommodation to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request by the start of the second week of class.
Policy on Letters of Recommendation
I am always willing to write letters of recommendation for students who have taken my classes. Before asking me to write you a letter, though, I should warn you that my letters are always honest and will reflect your actual performance in my course(s) -- including written work, comprehension of the material, and participation in class discussion. In other words, an "A" student who attended class regularly, participated actively in class discussion, read and understood all of the course material, and demonstrated this understanding in his or her written work and class discussion will receive a letter that reflects these accomplishments. Conversely, students who skipped class regularly, did not participate in class discussion, rarely read the material, or wrote poorly will receive letters that reflect these shortcomings. (I should also emphasize that I will cover each of these topics in writing your letter. Before you ask me to overlook one of these areas, you should realize that -- even if I agreed to your request, which I won't -- most grad schools or law schools will notice the omission, and will very likely interpret it as indicating poor performance in that area.)
If you are still interested in receiving a letter of recommendation for me after reading the above paragraph, I will need several items before I can write a good letter.
- 1. A personal statement about your goals or purposes (this should be part of your application; this will help me to tie in your accomplishments in my course with your career goals or your purposes in grad school)
- 2. A copy of your written work from my course, with my original comments (this will allow me to use specific examples from your work in making my points, rather than simply saying "his/her written work was good")
- 3. A list of the schools or businesses to which you plan to apply (because a letter that will be helpful for certain types of graduate schools may not help you much in other types of schools or in the business world; if I know where you are applying I can write a letter that focuses on the skills or experiences that are most relevant for your chosen career path)
- 4. A current copy of your resume or curriculum vitae (not required, but this will help me to place your work from my course in the context of your other experiences and interests)
- 5. A recent transcript (not required, but this will help me to place your work from my course in the context of your other college-level work)
These items allow me to write a more detailed letter with specific examples, which will be much more useful to a potential grad school or law school admissions office than an impersonal form letter. Similarly, I can write a more accurate and more detailed letter if you sit down and talk with me about what you plan to do (e.g., why you are planning to go to law school, which grad schools interest you and why, or what part of your background gives you a special edge for this career path).
Policy on Directed Independent Study (DIS) Courses
Due to large demand by students for directed independent studies courses, I have finally recorded my DIS policies explicitly on this web site. I have a number of requirements that must be met before I will agree to direct a DIS course for any undergraduate:
- 1. Any student asking me to direct a DIS must have already taken one of my courses, preferably an upper-division course. My DIS courses are much more personalized and intensive than traditional undergraduate courses, and while I am sure many students I have never met are up to the challenge, I generally find that it works much better to limit DIS courses to students who have already encountered my teaching and working style. Also, upper-division courses work much better than introductory courses for introducing students to serious research in political science and for demonstrating students' ability to do serious work.
- 2. Any student asking about a DIS must have done very well in the earlier course with me, which means receiving an A or A- grade (B+ students may be accepted under extraordinary circumstances, but only rarely). The reason for this is that a DIS is much more personalized and much more intensive than even a typical upper-division undergraduate course, and a student who did not perform well in one of my traditional courses will face an even harder time succeeding in a directed independent study with me.
- 3. Any student asking about a DIS must be interested in working on a topic that interests me (and that I am generally familiar with). If the student wishes to work on a topic that I know (or care) nothing about, then I will be unable to direct a reasonable research project, and the student would be much better off finding one of our many other faculty members who is more familiar with and more interested in the proposed topic of study.
- 4. Following up on requirement #3, the student must have a proposed outline of the course, with a proposed reading list (which may refer to types of books or articles in general terms, rather than listing all of the specific books or readings that will be read). Writing a meaningful course syllabus takes a great deal of time, and my standard teaching and other obligations do not generally leave me with enough time to come up with a full syllabus or reading list for every student who wishes to do a DIS with me. I do reserve the right to modify the proposed syllabus and/or reading list, though, in order to ensure that it covers the appropriate content adequately and that its workload is the equivalent of a standard 3-credit course (contrary to what some students perceive, a DIS should never involve less work or "easier" work than a standard undergraduate course -- and in fact, a good DIS may involve more work than many other courses; I generally require at least a 30-page original research paper for a DIS).
- 5. Any DIS that I direct will require regular meetings between the director (me) and the student. These meetings may be weekly, biweekly, or something roughly equivalent, but they are a vital part of any DIS. The meetings allow the student to ask questions about problems that may arise, allow the director to measure the student's progress, and generally ensure that the entire DIS experience will be a good one. Past situations where these meetings did not occur regularly have almost invariably ended in a disaster, with the student not doing much research until the last minute and then wondering why he or she received a B- or C grade (or worse) for the DIS. As a result, these regular meetings will constitute an important part of the final grade for the course, along with the final research paper.
Although these requirements may appear to be restrictive, they do a very good job of ensuring that the DIS experience will be a good one. Similar policies helped me to undertake two very successful DIS-type courses while I was an undergraduate, and -- when these policies have been followed -- have helped produce several very successful DIS courses for students of mine. It is also worth noting that every single bad DIS experience that I have seen (whether involving me or one of my colleagues) could have been avoided by enforcing these rules more rigorously.
http://www.paulhensel.org/teaching.html
Last updated: 28 December 2008
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