INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Sociology 101 Online
Ohlone College
Instructor: Dr. Bennett Oppenheim

Syllabus Contents

Instructor Information
Welcome Message
Course Description and Goals
Required Textbook
Learning Outcomes
Grading
Schedules and Deadlines
Contacting Me
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Web CT Student Orientation
Technology Requirements
Recommended Plug-ins
Registration for this Class
Attendance and Course Withdrawal
Help Desk

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Bennett Oppenheim
Mailing Address: 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539
Phone: (510) 659-6197
Email: boppenheim@ohlone.edu
Office Location: 6313 on Main Campus
Web Course Technician: (510) 742-3129

Welcome Message

I am pleased you have chosen to be a part of this class. Many students have successfully completed online courses and I have every reason to believe that you will be successful too.
I have attempted to organize the course so that it is interactive, straightforward, and easy to navigate. Nevertheless, if you are going to be successful, you must start the course right away, be self-reliant, and meet deadlines.

Course Description

We are about to embark upon a journey into who we are as social beings, the natural and social forces that influence our individual and collective lives, and the all-important relationship between self and society. Look at this course as an opportunity to see your life through both ends of a pair of binoculars. Through one end you see things close up and are therefore able to examine the taken-for-granted aspects of everyday life. Upon looking through the other end you can see yourself as a small part of a much larger social fabric. Each of the two lenses shows us the magic of being a human social being, along with the similarities and differences among us.

Required Textbook:

SOCIOLOGY, (Any Edition), by Richard T. Schaefer, McGraw-Hill

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing SOC 101, Introduction to Sociology, students will be able to:

Discuss/describe cultural diversity in relationship to social institutions
Identify theoretical perspectives of human behavior in cross cultural contexts
Relate the biological, historical, and cultural make-up of one’s own life to the common humanity of all people
Identify the major paradigms and research methods applied to the discipline of sociology

Grading

Online Quizzes - 80% of final grade

There will be an online multiple choice exam at the end of each chapter to test your understanding of the reading assignments.
You will be given a one hour time period to complete each exam.
Exams cannot be retaken.

Participation in Online Discussion Board - 20% of final grade

Weekly participation in online discussions by responding to topic questions posted weekly by the instructor. You are also encouraged to respond to postings submitted by your classmates.

Schedules and Deadlines

All of the course's modules are available the first day of class, this includes Lecture Notes, Audio Clips, Flashcards, PowerWeb Articles, and Exams. Each of these will stay available throughout the course.

Contacting Me

I can be reached by phone, during office hours, or through the e-mail provided in WebCT. I will not respond to online through the college e-mail once the course has commenced. Refer to Instructor Information for contact sources.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Since you will be communicating with the instructor and fellow students online, you must be familiar with Netiquette. Read and follow the "Core Rules for Netiquette" at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html. Students who violate these rules, or are deemed by the instructor to be rude in an online discussion, will be asked to drop the course.
Academic dishonesty defrauds all those who depend upon the integrity of the College, its courses, and its degrees and certificates, and therefore there is zero tolerance. Any questions regarding this matter, please refer to the Academic Dishonesty Policy on the Ohlone website. (Copies are available in the office of the Vice President, Educational Services/Deputy Superintendent)

Academic dishonesty defrauds all those who depend upon the integrity of the College, its courses, and its degrees and certificates, and therefore there is zero tolerance. Any questions regarding this matter, please refer to the Academic Dishonesty Policy on the Ohlone website. (Copies are available in the office of the Vice President, Educational Services/Deputy Superintendent)

The student has the right and shares the responsibility to exercise the freedom to learn.

The student is expected to engage in conduct in accordance with standards of the College that are designed to perpetuate its educational purposes. These procedures, along with applicable penalties for violation, are found in the Standards of Student Conduct and Discipline and Due Process Procedures. (Copies are available in the offices of the Vice President, Educational Services/Deputy Superintendent or Division Deans)

The student has the responsibility to be informed of all dates & policies pertaining to:

Course Registration
Add, Drop and Withdrawal from a class
Exams
Instructor Office Hours
Attendance
Credit/No Credit grading preference (if applicable)

WebCT Student Orientation

In order to be successful in the online classroom, you need to become familiar with the online environment of WebCT, the course management software used to deliver online courses at Ohlone College. At the beginning of the course, you are required to complete the "Online WebCT Student Orientation."

For instructions on how to self-register for Online WebCT Student Orientation, go to http://online.ohlone.edu

Technology Requirements

This course is taught fully online using WebCT. Students need the following hardware/software:

Reliable access to a computer: Pentium or Celeron PC (with Windows95/98 or NT or higher) OR Macintosh Power PC (with Mac OS8 or higher). For complete hardware specifications, go to the online education office site: http://online.ohlone.edu/onlineeducation/faculty/software_hardware_req.htm
Access to a computer internet connection. Preferably, you should have a 28.8 modem or faster
Netscape 3.0 or higher version, or Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher version
Word processing software, such as MS Word
An e-mail address
A computer equipped with a CD-ROM drive and audio speakers

Recommended Plug-ins

Go to the course homepage and click on the icon "Recommended Plug-ins" to download them to your computer. These will allow you to listen and view audio/video files for this course.

Registration for this Class

For information and instructions on how to register and login to SOC 101, go to the Ohlone College Online http://online.ohlone.edu

Attendance and Course Withdrawal

There is no on-campus attendance requirement. If you decide to drop the course, you are required to officially withdraw through the Ohlone Admissions and Records Office.

Help Desk

For all technical questions related to logging in, username, and password matters, please contact Online Help Desk at onlineeducation@ohlone.edu. The telephone number is (510) 742-3129.