ECP 3009: Moral and Ethical Foundations of Capitalism Spring 2016 - CRN 11053
CRN 11053 meets from 6:30 p.m. until 9:15 p.m. each Wednesday in Lutgert Hall 1205
All
Nazi coins were minted with this
on the edge: “Geneinnutz geht vor Eigennutz”
Translation?
“The community comes before the individual.”
Professor: Bradley K. Hobbs, Ph.D. Phone: 590-7162 (Voice Mail available at all hours.) E-mail: bhobbs@fgcu.edu home page:http://faculty.fgcu.edu/bhobbs/ Office: Lutgert Hall 3366
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. and by appointment.
A course syllabus is your primary reference for any course. It
tells you what the professor expects from you and from himself or herself. If
you have a question concerning the workings of the course, turn to this
reference first. It represents the "rules of the game" so to speak. If
you want clarification or have a question which you feel is not adequately
addressed - by all means ask now! By virtue of remaining in this course you have
provided implicit agreement with the policies and procedures laid out in this
syllabus.
OFFICIAL COURSE DESCRIPTION: ECP 3009 - Moral Foundations & Capitalism - 3 credit(s)
This course explores the philosophical underpinnings of capitalist forms of
economic organization. It covers the historical foundations of these arguments
with special emphasis on utilitarian and moral arguments. Cogent, philosophically-base
arguments regarding capitalism and criticisms of those arguments will be covered.
Prerequisite(s): Junior-level status.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: Required means bring the book to class when we are covering it - we will refer to the text in class meetings and you will be called upon to read passages.
There are numerous articles linked in the syllabus. You are to bring these to
class on the day we discuss them. You can use a tablet or laptop in this course unless you abuse it by using it for anything other than this course.
NOTE: Buy these specific editions or your pagination will be wrong. You are welcome to buy used copies of the correct edition.
2) Cohen, G.A. Why Not Socialism?
Princeton University Press, 2009. ISBN-10: 0691143617 ISBN-13: 978-0691143613
3)
Kendall, David L. Morality and Capitalism CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First Edition, 2014. ISBN-10: 1503233243 ISBN-13: 978-1503233249
I will add speakers as they are scheduled. Part of the class participation is to attend these speaking events. There will only be a couple of these events and they will be announced at least two weeks in advance.
Classes begin on Wednesday, January 6 IMPORTANT!!! By January 13 you must go to CANVAS and complete the Syllabus Quiz. The State of Florida will not recognize you as being enrolled and your financial aid will be held up if you do not do this!!!
Martin Luther King Day (No Classes) Monday, January 18 Speaker Event 1 - Professor C. Bradley Thompson, Clemson University. What has happened to Higher Education? on Thursday, February 25, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Grandezza Country Club, Estero, FL
Midterm Examination - TBA Last day to Drop/Withdraw, Tuesday, March 22
Term Paper Thesis Statement and Bibliography due in the first class meeting of Week 10 (October 20) Last day to Drop/Withdraw without Academic Penalty is Friday, October 31 Term Paper FINAL DRAFT due in the first class meeting of Week 13 Term Paper due in the first class meeting of Week 15 (but earlier is fine with me!)
Spring Break (No Classes) Monday, March 7 through Saturday, March 12 Last Day of Classes is Monday, April 25
Final Examinations are scheduled from Tuesday, April 26 through Saturday, April 30
Final Examination
1. The Take-Home component is due
by the start of class in the week prior to the in-class final. This is to be handed to me in class in hard-copy and turned in to the Turnitin web site. It will be given to you one week ahead of its due date.
2. The In-class component is Wednesday, April 27 from 5:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in Lutgert
Hall 1205.
Learning Objectives for
ECP 3009
Learning Objectives
Assessment Strategies
1) Understand the concept of systematic bias as it pertains to the different
economic beliefs along those trained in market processes and the general
population in the United States.
Class discussions of articles with analysis of the authors points leading
to examinations. Written papers and final examination.
2) Understand why Western philosophers embraced the concept of individual
self-interest as a force serving the good of society.
Class discussions of articles with analysis of the authors points leading
to examinations. Written papers and final examination.
3) Understand and be able to articulate the connections between economic
freedom and political freedom.
Class discussions of articles with analysis of the authors points leading
to examinations. Written papers and final examination.
4) Be able to articulate classical liberal views on knowledge and reason,
social processes, dynamics, equality, power, justice, vision, values, and
paradigms.
Class discussions of articles with analysis of the authors points leading
to examinations. Written papers and final examination.
5) Develop an understanding of what Objectivism is, what its major tenets
are, and how one major text of this course Atlas Shrugged develops this philosophy
in the form of a novel.
Class discussions of articles with analysis of the authors points leading
to examinations. Written papers and final examination.
GRADING POLICIES: Learning is a shared responsibility and the truth is that the lions
share of your education is yours to bear. Extensive reading is required in this course so if you fail to read you are choosing to not participate in your education.
Grading Scale: The University allows assignment of grades on a +/- system. I support
that form of grading and keep all final grades in that format. Because a "C"
is considered the top grade for a student to progress I have extended the range
of a "C" to include what is traditionally the "C-" range.
A100.0% to 93.0%
A- 92.9% to 90.0%
B+ 89.9% to 87.0%
B86.9% to 83.0%
B-82.9% to 80.0%
C+79.9% to 77.0%
C76.9% to 70.0%
C-No such grade
in my rubric. You need a "C" to move forward in the College of Business.
D+69.9% to 67.0%
D66.9% - 63.0%
D-62.9% to 60.0%
Fbelow 59.9%
Course Schedule (15 Weeks) :
Week
How to prepare each week's assignments
After Week 1, I expect that you complete the week's
assignments prior to the first class meeting with the exception of Atlas
Shrugged. Our standard practice will be to discuss the reading assignments
in class meetings. Atlas Shruggedwill be discussed in the last 15 minutes of the last class
meeting of each week.
To prepare for each class you will be required, at the beginning of class, to hand in a hard copy of a typed-page with two questions (for M,W,F classes); three questions (for T,Th classes); or five questions across all assigned readings for the week if the class meets once a week. Questions are not required for podcasts, videos, or Atlas Shrugged - only the readings. These questions can be about clarification, about content, about connections to other readings, a question that
further probes the author's ideas, among others.
Your question sets will: (1) be used for class discussion, (2) document your daily attendance, and (3) contribute to your
class participation grade. Question sets may be given over to a student
at any time to have them conduct the discussion of the readings.At the top of each page include this information: Your Name, class date, the reading(s) covered. If we cover more than one reading in a day indicate at the question level to which reading the question pertains. Maintain all questions in a cumulative Word file. Indicate the reading covered and the date at the start of each page. This cumulative file is due at the end of the semester.
The assigned readings below are by week. The line breaks between assigned readings indicate likely class coverage by day. The line breaks also indicate the readings for the day's question set.
Note - All readings are subject to revision by prerogative
of the instructor.
General Course Preparation
The Socratic Method
If you have never taken a Socratic Seminar or have any questions about your responsibilities in a Socratic Seminar, take the time to watch the videos to the right, by Michael Strong.
In the vein of this Socratic approach go ahead and prepare for Week 1 (below.) We will start into Week 1 materials on the first day of the course.
Read:
(1) Liberalism: The Classical Tradition by Ludwig von Mises
Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged, Part I, Chapters 7-8
Week 3
Jan 20
Theme: What is Classical Liberalism?
Read:
Finish Liberalism: The Classical Tradition by Ludwig von Mises
Theme:Historical Foundations
Readings:
(1)
Hobbes,
Thomas. The Leviathan, 1660.
Chapter XI - Of the Difference of Manners
Chapter XIII - Of the Natural Condition of Mankind as Concerning their
Felicity and Misery
Book I Of the Causes of Improvement in the productive Powers of Labour,
and of the Order according to which its Produce is naturally distributed
among the different Ranks of the People
Chapter I - Of the Division of Labor Chapter II - Of the Principle which gives Occasion to the Division
of Labour
Chapter III - That the Division of Labour is Limited by the Extent
of the Market
STOP - DO NOT READ Chapter IV - Of the Origin and Use of Money
Part IV Of the Effect of Utility upon the Sentiment of Approbation Chapter 1 - Of the beauty which the appearance of Utility bestows
upon all the productions of art, and of the extensive influence of this
species of Beauty Chapter 2 - Of the beauty which the appearance of Utility bestows
upon the characters and actions of men; and how far the perception if
this beauty may be regarded as one of the original principles of approbation.
(1) Bastiat, Frédéric. Economic Sophisms. First Series, Chapter 7. A
Petition The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc. 1996. Trans.
and Ed. Arthur Goddard. Library of Economics and Liberty. 1 August 2007.
Read only I.7 in its entirety.
(2) Bastiat, Frédéric. Economic Sophisms. First Series, Chapter 17, A
Negative Railroad The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc. 1996. Trans.
and Ed. Arthur Goddard. Library of Economics and Liberty. 1 August 2007.
Read only I.17 in its entirety.
(3 ) Bastiat, Frédéric. Selected Essays on Political
Economy. What
is Seen and What is Not Seen Read paragraphs 1.1 - 1.301. The Foundation for Economic Education,
Inc. 1995. Trans. Seymour Cain. Ed. George B. de Huszar. Library of Economics
and Liberty. 1 August 2007. <http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basEss1.html>.
Speaker Event 1 - Professor C. Bradley Thompson, Clemson University. What has happened to Higher Education? on Thursday, February 25, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Grandezza Country Club, Estero, FL
Hayek: The Knowledge Problem
(1) Author: Hayek, F. A., 1899-1992.
Title: "The
Use of Knowledge in Society"
Hayek, F. A., "The Use of Knowledge in Society". American Economic Review
. XXXV, No. 4; pp. 519-30. September, 1945. Library of Economics and
Liberty. 1 August 2007. <http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/hykKnw1.html>. *
Here is a Study Guide for this reading.
(2) Schumpeter, Joseph. (1952) from Capitalism,
Socialism and DemocracyCapitalism:
Its Nature and Demise (Abridged version from Prologue, and chapters V, XI, XIII, and XIV.) 12 pages
Term Paper "Thesis Statement and Bibliography" due by first class meeting. (1) Hard-copy in class.
(2) Submit it to Turnitin.
Theme: Conflicting Visions
"When he (Sripati Chandrasekh who was appointed Minister of Health and Family Planning by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1967) suggested sterilizing all Indian males with three or more children, we should have applied pressure on the Indian government to go ahead with the plan. We should have volunteered logistic support in the form of helicopters, vehicles, and surgical instruments. We should have sent doctors to aid in the program by setting up centers for training para-medical personnel to do vasectomies.
Coercion? Perhaps, but coercion in a good cause. I am sometimes astounded at the attitudes of Americans who are horrified at the prospect of our government insisting on population control as the price of food aid. (My emphasis) All too often the very same people are fully in support of applying military force against those who disagree with our form of government or our foreign policy. We must be relentless in pushing for population control around the world."
Ehrlich, Paul. 1968. The Population Bomb. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 165-166.
"We must lay hold of the fact that economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings"
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design."
F. A. Hayek, The Fatal Conceit, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics 1974
Read:
Sowell, Thomas. A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political
Struggles, Chapters 4,5,8
Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged, Part III, Chapters 3-4
Week 11
Mar 23
Theme: Conflicting Visions: Critics
of Capitalism
John Stuart Mill in On Liberty:
"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion....”
Term Paper due by beginning of the last class meeting of the week. (1) Hard-copy in class.
(2) Submit it to Turnitin.
Theme: Morality and Capitalism
Read:
(1)
Kendall, David L. Morality and Capitalism CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First Edition, 2014.
Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged, Part III, Chapters 9-10
Week 15
April 20
Theme: Smoke or Mirrors? Our Leaders and Ourselves
"And we alone shall feed them in Thy name, declaring falsely that it is in Thy name. Oh, never, never can they feed themselves without us! No science will give them bread so long as they remain free. In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet, and say to us, "Make us your slaves, but feed us." They will understand themselves, at last, that freedom and bread enough for all are inconceivable together, for never, never will they be able to share between them!"
The Grand Inquisitor by Fyodo Dostoevsky
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened."
Norman Thomas, Six-time Socialist Party presidential candidate and one of the founders of the ACLU.
Final Examination
1. The Take-Home component is due
by the start of class one week prior to the in-class final. This is to be handed to me in class in hard-copy and turned in to the Turnitin web site. It will be given to you one week ahead of its due date.
2. The In-class component is Wednesday, April 27 from 5:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in Lutgert
Hall 1205.
You will also be required to lead the class discussion once per semester. I will pick the readings students will lTo prepare for each class you will be required, at the beginning of class, to hand in a hard copy of one typed-page with two questions (M,W,F classes) or three questions T,Th classes) to propose to the
group from the day's reading(s): questions are not required for podcasts. These questions can be about clarification, about content, about connections to other readings, a question that
further probes the author's ideas, among others.
Your question sets will: (1) be used for class discussion, (2) document your daily attendance, and (3) contribute to your
class participation grade. Question sets may be given over to a student
at any time to have them conduct the discussion of the readings.At the top of each page include this information: Your Name, class date, the reading(s) covered. If we cover more than one reading in a day indicate at the question level to which reading the question pertains.
Maintain all questions in a cumulative Word file. Indicate the reading covered and the date at the start of each page. This cumulative file will be handed in at the end of the semester.
Read and randomly pick a name until all of you have had a turn.
Random In-Class Reading Quizzes may be given periodically at the beginning of class. They will consist of one to three questions. They will factor into your Class Participation grade.
Over the entire course
Celebration of Learning
(Midterm Examination)
25%
In class covering all course materials assigned thus far.
The Term Paper is developed in a three-stage process.
(1) Thesis Statement, Bibliography (feedback).
(2) FINAL Draft of the Term Paper (feedback).
(3) Term Paper (grade only).
Late papers lose one letter grade each day.
The Thesis Statement and Bibliography is due by 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Submitted through Turnitin.
The FINAL Draft is due by 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday March 20, 2016. Submitted through Turnitin.
The Term Paper is due Wednesday April 13, 2015 at the start of class. Submit it to Turnitin and also submit a hard copy in class.
Celebration of Learning
( Final Examination)
Take-Home Component (20%) and
In-class Component (10%)
30%
Late take-home essay papers lose one letter grade each day
Take-Home Component (Essay):
Due by the beginning of class Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
In-class Component (Multiple Choice and Short Answer): Wednesday, April 27 from 5:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in Lutgert
Hall 1205.
Class participation (20%) : This course is a seminar course where you have a deep responsibility
to engage. You can only do this by reading and coming to class prepared to discuss
the materials that are assigned. Each class meeting you need to bring three written questions to pose to the group directly pertaining
to the assigned Readings that day. It is limited to one page. At the top of
the page list your name, roster number (it will be assigned), and the date of
the class meeting. I will then use some of these questions to spur discussion
among you and your classmates.
Midterm Examination (25%):
I prefer to call it a "Celebration
of Learning." It will be in class and the date is listed above. It will cover all materials we have covered up to that point.
Final Examination (30%):
I prefer to call it a "Celebration
of Learning." Your Final Examination
has two components: (1) a take-home essay section (20%), and (2) an in-class
multiple-choice section given during our scheduled final during final's week
(10%). The Take-Home component's due date is listed on TurnItIn
and in the table below.
Crucial details on the Term Paper (1) An original paper of your choosing with the topic approved by your professor. Final papers are limited to ten (10) pages. Any pages after the page limit will not be read. A crucial part of writing is to be concise. All papers must
be typed, and double-spaced with the pages numbered. The paper must follow MLA
style. An excellent web source for following the MLA style is here. An excellent web source for following the APA style is here. If you have grammatical questions I suggest Grammar Girl as a good online source.
All papers must be run through Turnitin.com a site that checks your work against
all work on the web and all papers in their data base for plagiarism. It is also a grading platform that I will use to give feedback. When asked to "Submit Title" label the paper thus: "Last Name, First Name - Title of your Paper". For example, if I wrote a paper titled "Libertarian Themes in South Park" I would submit the title as "Hobbs, Brad - Libertarian Themes in South Park". Here is a video of
the general steps you will need to take. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl3zYA1og_A
The Class ID is unique to this course: 12284068
The Enrollment Password is: 11053 (the CRN number for this course)
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers
may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for
the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source
documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting
plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the
Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site.
(3) Thesis Statement and Bibliography - You are to have a concise thesis and a bibliography that is sufficient to support the topic you are choosing. In your subsequent work I might expect to see some changes to the bibliography but no substantive changes in the thesis statement. If you want examples and suggestions concerning a proper thesis statement see here or here.
(4) FINAL Draft - When I say FINAL draft, I MEAN IT. I will go through all FINAL drafts fastidiously and give you feedback. My feedback may be minor or extensive. Going through this process does not guarantee a high grade (i.e., my feedback is not a "punch-list" for a high grade.) If you hand in a paper that I deem not to be a FINAL draft (defined as five or more corrections on the first two pages) it will be returned to you as is and you are on your own for the final paper.
(5) Final Paper - You now have an opportunity to address the feedback I have given you in the previous step. The final paper will be read from front-to-end without marking it up and a grade will be assigned and recorded without detailed feedback given the process approach we are using.
(6) Finally, top original papers should be targeted for publishing in an undergraduate
research journal such as the Journal
of Liberty & Society.
Missed Examinations or Assignments:
A student must complete the exams at the scheduled
times on the scheduled dates or provide written documentation of an Authorized
Absence or Excused Absence (FGCU Catalog p.39). An Authorized Absence is due to participation
in a sponsored activity that has been approved in advance by the program director
and the appropriate student affairs officer. An Excused Absence is due to other
causes, such as illness, family emergency, death in the family, or religious
holiday. A student seeking an Excused Absence must obtain documentation such
as a physician's statement, accident report, or obituary.
If you miss an examination due to an Authorized Absence or an Excused Absence I must have a email or phone call
before or during the assessment event - simply not showing up earns a grade
of "0" on on any examination or assignment. My email is bhobbs@fgcu.edu and my phone number is 590-7162: voice messaging is available at all times. Where I have been notified as explained above, the points for the missed examination
will be calculated as the average of your other two examination scores. If you
miss two or more examinations you will receive a grade of "0" on both
of them and you will receive an "F" in the course.
A missed Final Examination will: (1) lead to an assigned grade of "incomplete" so long as I am
contacted prior to the examination as noted above and, (2) require you to take
a makeup examination and complete the examination prior to the university's
deadline for making up an incomplete. It is your responsibility to contact me
and coordinate the process of the makeup examination and the grade change. All
incomplete's not completed by the university's deadline automatically become an "F".
Assignments other than examinations (e.g., papers and presentations) lose 10% or one letter grade per day. If a group presentation is required your failure to participate in it earns you an automatic "0" for the presentation portion of that assignment.
Late quizzes or Sapling or Aplia homework's earn a score of
"0".
Examination Grade Challenge Policy: When an exam is handed back we will go over it in class and you will
hand it back in during class. Once the examination is handed back to you there
is a one-week cooling-off period. Then you can make an appointment
with me to come by during office hours and challenge my grading but be
prepared. At two weeks after the examination is returned to you, grades
on all examinations and assignments are finalized.
Electronics in the Classroom:
One must focus to do university-level work in this field of study. You may use a tablet or laptop unless I catch you using it for anything else but the class work. Then you will lose the privilege. USING ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING
PHONES IS PROHIBITED DURING CLASS MEETINGS.
Failure to comply with this rule has the following consequence: any infraction
will lead to you being identified as the person responsible for the Pop Quiz that
the entire class will take as a result of your action. These quizzes will be
included in your homework grade (Hat Tip to Professor Kerekes)
IMPORTANT COURSE ISSUES:
Cheating: Academic Honesty is your responsibility and ethical duty. Cheating is
a rampant problem on college and university campuses today. As a social scientist,
I think it says something quite interesting about our current culture -- or
perhaps Glaucon, Adeimantus and Thrasymachus were right (see The Republic
of Plato, Part II "Justice in the State and in the Individual", Chapter
V, "The Problem Stated".) My attitude concerning academic dishonesty is simple: Cheating is not worth
the potential consequences of getting caught nor the self-degradation which
it involves whether you are caught or not.
Apparently, some people care not about this. In a recent course I caught 10% of the class red-handed. So this gets really simple now for anyone who can't understand what I wrote above. If you are caught in an act of Academic Dishonesty you will be assigned an "F" for the entire course.Appropriate steps for dealing with scholastic dishonesty are spelled
out in the Student Code of Conduct and these steps will be followed if this activity
is revealed in your case. In the Student Code of Conduct "Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, forgery, misuse of any University document, record, or instrument of identification, multiple submissions, bribery, and/or theft of academic materials" all constitutre plagiarism. These guidelines pertain to all work
done in this class including take home assignments and graded homework. (You
do have explicit permission to engage in group homework under the conditions outlined
above.)
"The discipline of colleges and universities is in general contrived,
not for the benefit of the students, but for the interest, or more properly
speaking, for the ease of the masters. Its object is, in all cases, to maintain
the authority of the master, and whether he neglects or performs his duty,
to oblige the students in all cases to behave to him as if he performed with
the greatest diligence and ability. It seems to presume perfect wisdom and
virtue in the one order, and the greatest weakness and folly in the other.
Where the masters, however, really perform their duty, there are no examples,
I believe, that the greater part of the students ever neglect theirs. No discipline
is ever requisite to force attendance upon lectures which are really worth
attending…”
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Book
V, Chapter 1, Part f, Paragraph 15
Adam Smith
My attendance policy is laissez-faire. The translation from French is
roughly "to allow to act". In other words, you are allowed to do whatever you
want to do with regard to attendance: after all, only you can decide what your
opportunity costs are. Whatever your proclivities for attendance may be, you
are responsible for the materials of the course.
While my attendance policy is laissez-faire, it is not because I don't care. My reason for this policy is two-fold. First, I do not want uninterested slackers spoiling the demeanor of a class designed for those who want to learn. Second, I respect individual decisions and embrace the learning processes that emanate from both good decisions (e.g., taking college seriously as a scholarly opportunity) and bad decisions (e.g., extending adolescence debauchery with state subsidy.) Not that I have anything against debauchery - I just don't care to subsidize it.
I should note
that for nearly all students there is a high and positive correlation between
class attendance and grades. I encourage you to fully participate in your education.
I will take role daily for administrative purposes and, if need be, to explain
to you why you are not doing so well in this course.
Learning is a shared responsibility and as a result I won't be using valuable
student office hours to redeliver the lecture because you chose not to come
to class. Class lectures are, but, one way to learn - there are others. There are many things covered in class that are assessed in
this course so you should definitely obtain a copy of class notes, handouts, cases, etc. from
a fellow student should you
decide to not attend the class.
Assigned Readings:
There may be assigned readings in this course. In order to have an effective class discussion you must: (1)
read the article prior to the class meeting, (2) be prepared to both ask and
answer questions on the reading, and (3) bring your copy of the article and
your notes on it the class meeting.
Group Work:
Research in the area of learning has substantiated the positive effects of group
study. When carried out with serious effort the returns to group study can be
great for all members of the group. I would strongly encourage you to form study
groups and set a weekly meeting time to discuss this course. I would ask that
you assist each other; treating the study group as a cooperative experience
rather than a competitive one. I have no problem with groups working together
on the homework assignments.
Unless explicit permission is given (such as homework assignments above), all
work handed in must be done alone. You are welcome to discuss and work
together but when you "put pencil to paper" it must be your own work.
To do otherwise will be regarded as an act of academic dishonesty.
Student Responsibilities
There are no extra credit assignments. Graduation, scholarships, work, financial
aid, personal plans, etc. have nothing to do with grades in this course. Grades
are based on performance (see the FGCU Catalog.) Course grades are available via Gulfline
(see the FGCU Catalog).
Studying for university-level courses
I expect students to spend 2-3 hours of work outside of class
for every hour you are in class. This means attending class plus spending
6-9 hours on course work including readings, assignment and studying.
For a 15-hour load this means 30-45 hours a week on your courses. A 2007
study by the National Survey of Student Engagement found that full time
students self reported (thus, probably an exaggerated report) spending
about 13 - 14 hours per week (for a 15-hour load). As I tell my college-enrolled
kids, "This may sound like a lot but this is the easiest 30 hour
a week job you'll ever have! So stop whining and get the most out of the
vast array of resources a university provides you. We owe it to the taxpayers
- who subsidize this endeavor to the tune of about 75%. We owe it to ourselves
- to be all that we can be."
According to this
study, I am swimming upstream. But, swim, I must. Economics is intellectually
challenging and rigorous.
On the upside, Stinebrickner & Stinebrickner in 2007 find that studying
an extra hour per week has the same effect on student achievement as a
5-point increase in your ACT scores.
Sources :
National Survey of Student Engagement. Experiences That Matter: Enhancing
Student Learning and Success. Bloomington, IN: Center for Postsecondary
Research, 2007.
Stinebrickner, T. & Stinebrickner, R. "The Causal Effect of
Studying on Academic Performance." Working Paper W13341. Cambridge,
MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, Aug. 2007.
(Thanks to Professor Linda Ray for these
tidbits of truth.)
Dr. Hobbs' Study Handouts For Principles Students:
Print these out and read them carefully.
Study Handout #1: Studying for a Principles of Economics Course - The
ARA Approach Study Handout #2: Studying for a Principles
of Economics Course - Constructing a Set of Class Notes
Need a Tutor?
"The Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) provides academic support services
to all FGCU students. Students can take advantage of our free peer tutoring
and Supplemental Instruction sessions for lower-level math and science courses,
as well as workshops to facilitate the development of skills necessary for college
success. If you would like to participate in any of our programs, learn about
tutoring services, or meet with an Academic Retention Coordinator, please visit
the CAA in Library 103 or call us at (239) 590-7906. Our web site is www.fgcu.edu/caa."
State-Mandated and University-Required Regulatory and Control Statements
"The bureaucrat begins, perhaps, by doing only what he conceives to be his sworn duty, but unless there are very efficient four-wheel brakes upon him he soon adds a multitude of inventions of his own, all of them born of his professional virtuosity and designed to lather and caress his sense of power."
H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1996 [1956]), pp. 278-279.
As of fall 2015, all faculty members are required to use Canvas to confirm a student's attendance for each
course by the end of the first week of classes. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the disbursement of
your financial aid. The confirmation of attendance is required for all students, not only those receiving
financial aid.
General Education Program
This course qualifies as a General Education course in the Social Sciences subject
area. The economic way of thinking relies heavily on the usage of critical thinking
skills (the ability to link data, knowledge, and insight to make better decisions).
Critical thinking is one of the four General Education competencies. All General
Education courses are required to have a plan for assessing their students’
performance on at least one of those four competencies. To meet that requirement,
there will be several questions on your final exam designed to assess your critical
thinking skills. Those questions will be directly related to the economics content
covered in your textbook and in class lectures.
Departmental Course Scheduling
Planning for and meeting all requirements of graduation are your responsibility. Regularized course offering schedules are available from LCOB advisors, as are prerequisite sequences as described in the Catalog
and degree program sheets, to assist students in the successful
implementation of their plans. Course substitutions and prerequisite exceptions
are only granted in exceptional circumstances clearly beyond the control
of students and come through LCOB Advisors - not Professors. Lack of planning and poor planning are not exceptional circumstances.
Academic Behavior Standards and Academic Dishonesty
All students are expected to demonstrate honesty in their academic pursuits.
The university policies regarding issues of honesty can be found in the FGCU
Student Guidebook under the Student Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures
sections. All students are expected to study this document which outlines their
responsibilities and consequences for violations of the policy. The FGCU Student
Guidebook is available online at http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/judicialaffairs/new.html Disability Accommodations Services
Florida Gulf Coast University, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the university’s guiding principles, will provide classroom and academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities. If you need to request an accommodation in this class due to a disability, or you suspect that your academic performance is affected by a disability, please see me or contact the Office of Adaptive Services. The Office of Adaptive Services is located in Howard Hall, room 137. The phone number is 590-7956 or TTY 590-7930. In addition to classroom and campus accommodations, individuals with disabilities are encouraged to create their personal emergency evacuation plan and FGCU is committed to providing information on emergency notification procedures. You can find information on the emergency exits and Areas of Rescue Assistance for each building, as well as other emergency preparedness materials on the Environmental Health and Safety and University Police Department websites. If you will need assistance in the event of an emergency due to a disability, please contact Adaptive Services for available services and information.
Student Observance of Religious Holidays
All students at Florida Gulf Coast University have a right to expect that the
University will reasonably accommodate their religious observances, practices,
and beliefs. Students, upon prior notification to their instructors, shall be
excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious
holy day of their faith. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of
time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence. Students
shall not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic
activity because of religious observances. Where practicable, major examinations,
major assignments, and University ceremonies will not be scheduled on a major
religious holy day. A student who is to be excused from class for a religious
observance is not required to provide a second party certification of the reason
for the absence.
Writing is this course will be assessed at the college and university level based upon " Appendix E – QEP Rubric."
QEP stands for Quality Enhancement Program and is part of SACS (which stands for Southern Asscoaition of Colleges and Schools) whose stated mission is: "The mission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools™ is the improvement of education in the South through accreditation."
Written Communication
Capstone 4
Milestone 3
Milestone 2
Benchmark 1
Context of and Purpose for Writing
[Includes considerations of audience, purpose, and the circumstances surrounding the writing task(s).]
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose that is responsive to the assigned task(s) and focuses all elements of the work.
Demonstrates adequate consideration of context, audience, and purpose and a clear focus on the assigned task(s) (e.g., the task aligns with audience, purpose, and context).
Demonstrates awareness of context, audience, purpose, and to the assigned tasks(s) (e.g., begins to show awareness of audience's perceptions and assumptions).
Demonstrates minimal attention to context, audience, purpose, and to the assigned tasks(s) (e.g., expectation of instructor or self as audience).
Genre and Disciplinary Conventions
[Formal and informal rules inherent in the expectations for writing in particular forms and/or academic fields.]
Demonstrates detailed attention to and successful execution of a wide range of conventions particular to a specific discipline and/or writing task (s) including organization, content, presentation, formatting, and stylistic choices.
Demonstrates consistent use of important conventions particular to a specific discipline and/or writing task(s), including organization, content, presentation, and stylistic choices.
Follows expectations appropriate to a specific discipline and/or writing task(s) for basic organization, content, and presentation.
Attempts to use a consistent system for basic organization and presentation.
Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Uses eloquent language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency, and is virtually error-free.
Uses straightforward language that generally conveys meaning to readers. The language in the portfolio has few errors.
Uses language that generally conveys meaning to readers with clarity, although writing may include some errors.
Uses language that sometimes impedes meaning because of errors in usage.
Critical Thinking
Capstone 4
Milestone 3
Milestone 2
Benchmark 1
Content Development
Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to illustrate mastery of the subject, critical analysis and synthesis skills that convey the writer's understanding.
Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to explore ideas using critical thinking skills within the context of the discipline.
Uses appropriate and relevant content to develop and explore ideas through most of the work.
Uses appropriate and relevant content to develop simple ideas in some parts of the work.
Evaluation of Information; Conclusion
Skillfully analyzes and evaluates information / evidence related to thesis; conclusion is insightful, logical and justified based on a skillful evaluation of evidence.
Adequately analyzes and evaluates information / evidence related to thesis; conclusion is logical and justified based on the evaluation of evidence.
Attempts to analyze and evaluate information / evidence related to thesis and use the evidence in order to justify conclusions.
Takes information at face value (little or no attempt to evaluate quality of information / evidence, relationship to thesis, or support of conclusions).
Information Literacy
Capstone 4
Milestone 3
Milestone 2
Benchmark 1
Identification and Access of Information / Evidence
Demonstrates skillful identification and access of high-quality, credible, relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of the writing.
Demonstrates consistent identification and access of credible, relevant sources to support ideas that are situated within the discipline and genre of the writing.
Demonstrates an attempt to identify and access credible and/or relevant sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of the writing.
Has difficulty identifying and accessing sources to support ideas in the writing.
Use Information Effectively to Accomplish a Specific Purpose
Skillfully communicates, organizes and synthesizes information from sources to fully achieve a specific purpose, with clarity and depth.
Communicates, organizes and synthesizes information from sources. Intended purpose is achieved.
Communicates and organizes information from sources. The information is not yet synthesized, so the intended purpose is not fully achieved.
Communicates information from sources. The information is fragmented and/or used inappropriately (misquoted, taken out of context, or incorrectly paraphrased, etc.), so the intended purpose is not achieved.
The eight questions you should never ask your professor
If you were to ask me any one of these, my standard responses follow.
Will I miss anything by not being in class tomorrow?Of course you
will miss something by not being in class: Unless I am already wasting my time and
yours.
May I hand in this assignment late? Deadline. Think about the word dead;
and then the word line.
Is this good enough for full credit? You are a university student and
should be developing that assessment yourself. This is how it works: You hand
it in and I grade it.
Since I got such a poor score can I resubmit it?I neither "give" grades nor do I fail students. Every score - poor or great - that I record, you earned. I certainly applaud
students who do poorly and then go back to learn from their mistakes on examinations, but your
initial grade stands.
Is there anything I can do for extra credit?You aren't doing so well
on the regular credit - I'd hate to load you up with anything extra.
Will this be on the examination? Perhaps. Anything we cover or that
is assigned in this course is fair game.
Are you busy? Sure am! I have a galloping career that involves teaching,
service, and research. However, I have a duty and an obligation to respond to your inquiries
and concerns. I have set office hours aside for that purpose and will make appointments outside of office hours.
"I knew the material; I just don't test well."Yes, I know,
I graded it. Realize that you must also be able to communicate your knowledge.
There are three steps on the road to understanding a corpus body of knowledge:
acquisition, retention, and application. You may also be overestimating how
well you know the materials because you have stopped too early in this process.See this link!And
this one!
NOTE: The schedule and coverage in this course
are subject to change in the event of changing circumstances. Procedural aspects of the syllabus are set in concrete.
