Syllabus

This course is a comparative introduction to the governmental systems and current political issues in Europe, with a concentration on Western Europe. The focus will be on a selection of European states and the European Union (EU) as overarching integration project. Through a comparative approach, domestic politics and policymaking, structures and functions of political institutions and political transitions will be analyzed with particular attention to political culture, governance and political parties. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to understand the historical legacies in Western European politics, analyze current Western European political trends through a theoretical (comparative) lens, as well as explain the impact of transnational issues on Western European domestic politics as well as EU integration. Students will be assessed by three reading & concept challenges (a quiz, a midterm and a final), three discussion arena essays and posts, and a research paper quest.

This class counts toward the FIU’s European Studies Certificate and is also a Gordon Rule core curriculum course, which means that you will be expected to write extensively through a number of assignments.

Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online courses.

1. All times and deadlines are given in United States Eastern Time (ET). Also, please note the Daylight Savings Time change on March 12, 2017.
2. No incompletes are given.
3. No make-up opportunities are given.
4. For discussion arena and final research paper: Late submissions will result in point penalties according to this rule: one day late = -10 %, two days late = -20 %, three days late = -30 %, etc.
5. For online reading & concept challenges in Respondus LockDown Browser: reading & concept challenges will be open for one week. Once the reading & concept challenge closes at the deadline, it will not be re-opened for you and it will irrevocably count as a zero, if you did not take it before the deadline.
6. Copying from the textbook or cutting and pasting sections from websites or other reference materials or presenting someone else’s ideas as your own is plagiarism and will not be tolerated and will result in zero (0) points for that assignment. Please review the FIU Plagiarism Prevention Guide.  In addition, all work submitted must be original for this class.
7. This class will utilize the Turnitin originality software—integrated with Blackboard.
8. Papers that are not properly cited will be issued a zero. 
9. If the instructor is unable to open an attachment, it must be resubmitted within 48 hours or the assignment will be issued a zero.
10. Always check the uploaded attachment is correct.  After the deadline passes, the content submitted will be used for grading.
11. Medical emergencies can generally not count as excuses for not submitting assignments, taking tests or posting essays/replies. This is because the assessments (whether they be discussion arena posts, online reading & concept challenges, or written assignments) are open for several days, sometimes weeks each and therefore you will have much leeway in deciding when to take an reading & concept challenge, or submit an assignment. The only exception would be a truly grave medical emergency/accident in which you are hospitalized for several days or weeks. In such case, obtain written documentation and send a scan to instructor.
12. Textbooks and the purchase thereof are the student’s responsibility. Some article readings will be offered as download in Blackboard (“Course Readings” menu item) which are marked on this syllabus as “[PDF]” following the assigned reading below. Any readings from the assigned textbooks will not be made available for download.
13. There is no extra-credit in this class.
14. Appointments: I welcome students to contact me by email with questions or email me to make an appointment with me to meet on campus (MMC, for South Florida residents) or via Skype (for remote students).
15. The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus should the need arise.

One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the "What's Required" webpage to find out more information on this subject.

This course utilizes the following tools:

• Blackboard Discussions (privacy policy)
• Blackboard Assessments (privacy policy)
• Microsoft Word (privacy policy)
• Turnitin (privacy policy)
• Adobe Connect (privacy policy)

Technical problems can sometimes come up unexpectedly. Students should have a backup plan for Internet and e-mail access in the event the home or work computer connection goes off line or crashes. Always keep a back-up copy of all assignments, discussion posts, and e-mails in a safe place. Though they are rare, major system outages and failures do happen. Individual technical problems are not an acceptable excuse for late assignments.

Throughout the semester, readings, announcements, notes of clarification, and grades will be placed in the FIU Online classroom. To access these, students will need to enter the classroom regularly (at least three times each week). Students should do a browser check-up to ensure all features in the FIU Online classroom work properly.

All technical problems should be directed to the FIU Support Services Help Desk by phone at 1-877-3-ELEARN or online. Be certain to request and note the “trouble ticket” number, which will be used to verify any claims of a system failure.

This class will use the Adobe Connect live classroom. Students must be able to access and use the Adobe Connect live classroom software. To get the most out of the live class experience, a headset (microphone and headphones all in one) is recommended, but not required.

Reference Adobe Connect (Tutorials & Help) for additional information.

This course utilizes the following tools:

1. Discussion Arena (four posts in total: one response to the posted question, one follow-up question for discussion, and two responses to peers' posts for each quest)
2. Adobe Connect (lectures; live and recorded)
3. Turnitin integrated submission feature (submission of book review challenge and final paper—no password necessary to submit)
4. Online reading & concept challenges with Respondus LockDown Browser (both fully online)
5. Program to compose written assignments (Microsoft Word, Open Office, etc.)
6. Adobe Acrobat Reader (Free at Adobe Website)
7. Internet Browser (preferred: Mozilla Firefox; Google Chrome and Safari have been known to not work consistently with Adobe Connect, so the latter browsers are not recommended)

Please visit our Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

Please visit Blackboard's Commitment Accessibility webpage for more information. 

For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Academic Misconduct includes: Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic sources; or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field service reports, class recitations; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course materials, whether originally authorized or not. Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism.

Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can help you prepare for a successful semester.

This is an online course, meaning that most of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some students.

Students are expected to:

• Review the how to get started information located in the course content
• Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self-introduction in the appropriate discussion forum
• Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Blackboard
• Interact online with instructor(s) and peers
• Review and follow the course calendar
• Log in to the course several times per week
• Respond to discussion arenas by the corresponding deadline
• Respond to emails within three days
• Submit assignments by the corresponding deadline

The instructor will:

• Log in to the course several times per week
• Respond to discussion arenas within three days
• Respond to emails within 1 business day
• Grade assignments within four days of the assignment deadline

Communication in this course will take place via Email.

The Email feature is an external communication tool that allows users to send emails to users enrolled within the course including the instructor and other students. Emails are sent to the students' FIU email on record. The Email tool is located on the left side Course Menu (Blackboard user interface).

Visit our writing resources page for more information on professional writing and technical communication skills.

Keep in mind that your discussion arena postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.

The first part of this assignment is posting your own response to each quest and corresponding reading on Blackboard’s “Discussion Arena.” Questions that you may respond to after reading are going to be provided in the heading of the discussion arena. The discussion arena that corresponds to each quest will be opened shortly after the quest becomes available. Your response should be between 300 and 350 words long, be structured like an essay, and ideally show reference to the studied quest and readings. At the end of your essay, please provide a question for further discussion that your classmates may reply to in the second part of this assignment. This first part of the assignment is graded with a rubric.

The second part of this assignment is reading and replying to the discussion posts of two of your peers. So after you have posted your own, original response in the first part of the assignment (reading others’ discussion posts is disabled until you post your own), you need to reply to, at least, two (2) discussion posts of your classmates: This will contribute to the discussion character of this task. This second part of the assignment is graded and included in the rubric.

This assignment corresponds to our quests in the course content and the assigned reading to it. So, for each quest, there will be a discussion feature. There will be as many discussions as there will be class quests. We may use Turnitin to check the originality of your posted essay. If you borrow material, identify the sources via proper citation. Your essay post must answer the question(s) provided to guide you in this assignment. Your posts will be graded in the order that they are submitted. Opinions and examples are valuable to your posts but you need to show that you have read the assigned reading and class quest.

Items to consider when writing your discussion:

• Relevance to assigned material: the posted ideas indicate that the student has read the assigned material.
• Clarity and coherence.
• Critical thinking: there is evidence that the student has adequately analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated the assigned material.
• Your discussion includes a question for further discussion on the topic. The posting articulates a question for discussion that pertains to the assigned material.
• Spelling, grammar: the posting must meet university-level standards of spelling and grammar.
• Length: the initial posting for each discussion post essay must be between 300 and 350 words.
• Guidelines: First submit your essay (ca. 300 words), then separately submit your discussion question, and then proceed to look at your peers posts and reply to at least two different peers’ questions/react to their essay.
• Please note: You will not be able to see what your peers have posted prior to submitting your initial post (essay). This is to ensure originality and no copy-paste/filibustering mentality. Should your first post be an empty post (to circumvent this initial blocking view of others’ posts), it will count as zero (0) points.
• Late submission is subject to the deduction policy specified above under “Policies.”

Rubric:

• Student clearly and coherently answers the question posted (1 point)
• Student posts a question for further discussion (1 point)
• Student includes theoretical concepts for discussion (2 points)
• Student includes explanations on the application of the concepts (4 points)
• Student uses University-level standards for spelling and grammar and professional demeanor (1 points)
• Student answers to peers’ discussion questions with two replies (1 point)

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.

Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.

There will be THREE ONLINE READING & CONCEPT CHALLENGES (with Respondus Lockdown Browser).

Assessment Expectations:

• Complete the three online reading & concept challenges (Quiz, Midterm & Final) within this course
• Relevant material for reading & concept challenges are PowerPoints, Lectures, and—first and foremost—assigned required readings. Reading which are merely recommended are not directly relevant as reading & concept challenge material—unless they have been mentioned, summarized or introduced via lectures or quests, for example (nevertheless, you do not have to read them but just know what was mentioned about them, if they came up in lectures/quests).
• The reading & concept challenges are cumulative, meaning that they cover all material previously learned, though they have a focus on the material learned after the last test.
• Reading & concept challenges will consist of multiple-choice questions.
  • The first online reading & concept challenge (Quiz) will become available for you to take it on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 12:00am ET and is scheduled with a deadline of Monday, February 6, 2017, i.e., it is due by 11:59pm ET.
  • The second online reading & concept challenge (Midterm) will become available for you to take it on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 12:00am ET and is scheduled with a deadline of Monday, March 27, 2017, i.e., it is due by 11:59pm ET.
  • The third online reading & concept challenge (Final) will become available for you to take it on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 12:00am ET and is scheduled with a deadline of Monday, May 1, 2017, i.e., it is due by 11:59pm ET.
• The assessment duration is 60 minutes for the quiz and midterm, 120 minutes for the final.
• If you access the reading & concept challenge last minute, e.g. on Monday, February 6, 2017 at 11:58pm ET, then your reading & concept challenge submission would be marked as “late” and will be subject to point deductions. Therefore, it is recommended to take the reading & concept challenge the latest one hour before the deadline. Please note that the assessment will close permanently after the deadline, so taking (and starting) it late is not possible.
• Result details:
  • Students will be able to see their results after the availability period has ended (i.e. all of the questions and answers).
• The expected turn-around time for grades on online reading & concept challenges is immediately after the submission deadline.

• Review the Respondus LockDown Browser Instructions on how to install, access your assessments and view your grades.
• After installing the browser, please take the Practice Quiz to familiarize yourself with the testing environment and to ensure that you have downloaded the Respondus Lockdown Browser correctly.

This is the written assignment which consists out of a topic submission (March 27), a research proposal submission (April 3) and a final research paper submission (April 17) and—taken together—will determine a very large part of your grade, i.e., 30% (10% for the research proposal, 20% for the final research paper). Students are expected to write a research paper on a European politics topic of their choice, which should have a clear research question, demonstrate research and a critical analysis based on the literature and knowledge gained throughout the course.

• The final research paper cannot exceed 3,500 words. (Over a 3,500 words would be deductions from the guideline rubric; for some students the challenge is getting to 3,500 words, for others keeping it to 3,500 words—the paper should not have less than 3,000 words but under no circumstances more than 3,500 words). The page count is secondary—word count determines whether this requirement of 3,000 to 3,500 words is met, but you should expect a paper length about 10-12 pages.
• Format: Normal margins, 12 pt Times New Roman (or Palatino Linotype) font, double spacing, no extra spaces between paragraphs.
• Quotations: Stick with one quotation type, choose the one you feel most comfortable with/you are used to, i.e., either MLA, or APA, or Chicago, or Turabian—but stick with it/be consistent.
• Topics: The topic has to do either with a topic to do with a country of Western Europe (Ireland, UK, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, BeNeLux, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark) or Western Europe as a region or as integrated in the European Union. The topic has to be of concern though for a comparative analysis, as this is a class about comparative politics; ideally, you will choose two countries to compare a trend or political phenomenon, for example.
  • Submit Your Choice of Final Research Paper Topic via Assignment Dropbox by March 27, 2017, 11:59pm ET. See deadline in "Important Dates" section (a title for your topic and one simple sentence to explain is enough for me to give feedback whether it is a viable, relevant topic).
  • Here are some recommendations for your paper research process:

1. It is advisable to choose a comparative topic with two (max. three) countries for your paper research. The paper also writes itself more easily, if you have sections describing the politics in two countries and then go on to compare them in a third part. If you wish to focus on one country and you are certain you can write twelve pages on the subject without comparing it to a similar dynamic in another country, you are welcome to focus on just one country, too.   

2. Research a variety of credible sources (Green library catalogue: books & journals, electronic journals accessible through the library website, careful online search: quality newspapers (create a news alert with New York Times!), politics think tanks, official governmental documents) and supply at least five sources

3. To build a good structure, start with a research question which you try to answer. Then provide an introduction, an analytical main part (Who? What? When? Why? What could be done?), and a conclusion with your ‘expert’ opinion.

4. Conduct a grammar check before submission (+ no repetitions; analytical language)

• Before you submit and work on your 10-12-page final research paper, you are required to submit a two-page research proposal/paper outline, containing three (3) bibliographical sources that are annotated with explanatory notes (which basically means that you summarize the source in question in a few sentences). This research proposal/paper outline is due on April 3, by 11:59pm ET. It is worth 10% of the grade. I will check-in with you several times as the submission due date approaches and I recommend for you to contact me via email about your topic, or set up an office hour appointment.
  For creating the research proposal/paper outline: Consider which country/ies and which contemporary Western European politics-related topic is of interest to you. Papers in the past dealt with terrorism, immigration, unemployment, church-state relations, parties in Western Europe, the impact of the Euro-crisis, nationalism, Europe’s role in the world, the impact of the Syrian migration crisis, the impact of Brexit, etc. Opting for a comparative approach, make sure to compare two, max. three countries. You will get feedback from me on your proposal/outline shortly after you hand it in (so if you want feedback earlier, also submit this assignment accordingly ahead of the deadline). Afterwards you may start writing and research then, taking the feedback into account. See deadline in "Important Dates" section.
• Submit the Research Proposal/Paper Outline the via Turnitin dropbox on Blackboard in “Assignments” by April 3, 2017, 11:59pm EDT. See deadline in "Important Dates" section.
• The final research paper is due through the Turnitin dropbox under “Assignments” in Blackboard. This means it will be checked whether it is original in terms of compared to the world-wide web, scholarly outlets, and reviews submitted with turnitin—but also compared to your peers in this class. This is an individual assignment and you must work on it by yourself, i.e., it cannot be identical or similar to another student’s submitted research paper.
  • The final research paper can be submitted starting on Tuesday, March 1, 2017 up until Monday, April 17, 2017, 11:59pm EDT via the Turnitin dropbox on Blackboard in “Assignments.” See deadline in "Important Dates" section.
• Late submission is subject to the deduction policy specified above under “Policies.” However, after Wednesday, April 26, 2017, 11:59pm EDT (i.e., 10 days after the initial deadline) submission will close permanently and no further late submission will be possible after that date.
• Grading timeframe is about one week after the submission deadline.
• Review the detailed Turnitin instructions on how to submit your assignments and how to review the Grademark comments (feedback) from your professor.

Research Paper Scoring Rubric:

Adobe Connect is an online meeting room where you can interact with your professor and fellow students by sharing screens or files, chat, broadcast live audio, and take part in other interactive online activities. We will be utilizing this tool to conduct lectures accompanying the modules.

Meetings will be available on the following dates—live and as recordings thereafter (if you cannot make it):

Quest 1: 

• Meeting 1: January 11, 2017 / 10:00pm-11:00pm

Quest 2: 

• Meeting 2: January 18, 2017 / 10:00pm-11:00pm
• Meeting 3: January 25, 2017 / 10:00pm-11:00pm
• Meeting 4: February 1, 2017 / 10:00pm-11:00pm

Quest 3: 

• Meeting 5: February 8, 2017 / 10:00pm-11:00pm
• Meeting 6: February 15, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 7: February 22, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 8: March 1, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 9: March 8, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 10: March 22, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm

Quest 4: 

• Meeting 11: March 29, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 12: April 5, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 13: April 12, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm
• Meeting 14: April 19, 2017 / 5:15pm-6:15pm

Requirements for using Adobe Connect:

• Disable any window pop-up blocker.
• Adobe Flash Player is required to successfully run your Adobe Connect meeting. You can test your computer to make sure your computer and network connections are properly configured to provide you with the best possible Adobe Connect meeting experience.
• Use of a combination headset and microphone with USB connection is recommended to ensure quality sound and reduce technical difficulties.
• I recommend using Mozilla Firefox browser. Internet Explorer or Safari browsers may be used, however, Google Chrome is known not to work with Adobe Connect, so please refrain from using the latter.
  
  Reference Adobe Connect (Tutorials & Help) for additional information.