How this Course will be Taught
- First, do not access this website via your cell phone or a similar device because
this site is formatted for computers.You must have
access to a reliable
internet and a
computer--if you do not have one please use the student computers on campus.
- This a hybrid course, but there will be no
classes on Zoom.
-
There are no required textbooks. Instead, all class lecture and homework materials
will be available online 24/7 to give you flexibility in how you manage
your time. NOTE: For copyright reasons they will be available only via
this class home page and NOT via UBLearns (see homework schedule
below). Homework assignments will consist of readings AND/OR films/documentaries. <-- Read this paragraph again.
- Regarding specifically film/documentary homework assignments: they
will usually consist of two sections--either together within one video
or sometimes separately. Section one will comprise class lecture
materials (encompassing a combination of materials, such as: notes,
slides, film/video excerpts, still images, etc.), while section two will
be the film itself. NOTE: for test purposes both sections will be
equally important..
- Because this is a hybrid class, the term "homework" refers to
everything you are assigned to do in this class via announcements on
this class home page, and/or via emails to you, and/or via UBLearns; that is, it does NOT cover anything you have not been assigned in writing.
- Important: you must download all homework materials to your
computer, so you can have access to it 24/7. Plus, if too many people
are attempting to access the homework online at the last minute you may
not be able to access it at all.
Course Requirements/Grading Policy
- Because
this is a hybrid course it will be heavily test-based to ensure that
you are doing your homework assignments. (See below for more about the
tests.)
- Tests/quizzes/exam altogether will be worth 80% of your final course grade.
-
There will be a final exam
(20%) during exam week, which will have one additional function: depending on
your performance, to also use it as extra-credit to boost your final
course grade (provided you have a passing grade in the course after the final exam).
-
There will be a two-part test-based term paper project, it will be worth 20% of your final course grade.
- Letter
grade equivalents of percentage points: A =97-100 A-
=93-96 B+ =90-92 B =85-89 B- =80-84
C+ =73-79 C =66-72 C- =60-65
D+ =55-59 D =51-54 F =0-50
- Do
not use your phone to access either homework materials, and/or to do the tests.
- Most
communications about the course will be via course announcements via this page and/or via emails as it progresses.
You must read your emails from the instructor regularly AND save them in an email folder you must
create in your email account. IMPORTANT: See also note below about emails format.
- You must know how to navigate the internet, including accessing Brightspace (UBLearns). You must know how to read
text on a computer screen. You
must take notes on the homework material, but your notes must be very,
very brief (about two or three words per page or scene, as you go
through the material--taking detailed notes means you are not digesting
the material). You will need these notes for tests, since tests are open book.
- Your are NOT permitted to use AI (artificial intelligence, such as
ChatGPT) to fulfill any of the requirements for this course--including
homework, tests, term paper, etc.
- If you claim that you cannot see a link for
an item (or some other essential information), send me a clear
picture of your entire computer screen,
edge to edge (meaning EVERYTHING visible to you on your screen must be
included in the picture), as an email attachment. Reminder: IF, in the extremely rare instance,
there is a missing link
(or some other information) it will affect the entire class, not just
you. (The internet does not discriminate against specific individuals,
whoever they may be.)
- If you have a disability, reasonable accommodations for equal
access to this course should be requested through Accessibility
Resources in Capen 60. However, providing me with a note from
Accessibility Resources may not enough. Because, if necessary, you must
also indicate how I can best accommodate your needs.
- University regulations stipulate that any modification of course
requirements for one student must be made available to other students
too (unless it is a disability-related modification.
- NOTE: If you are still registered for this course beyond the final
add/drop deadline for course registration, then it will be assumed that
you have thoroughly read, understood, and agreed to abide by all course
requirements for this class. In fact, you may be asked to submit a
disclaimer that you read the syllabus diligently
and will fully abide with all the course requirements, as well as all
mandatory university requirements.
What this Course is About
- The principal purpose of this course is to explore that part of
U.S. law that has dealt with the human rights / civil rights of African
Americans (and by implication other racial ethnic groups in U.S.
society: Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, etc.).
Our objective will be to explore the interaction of law, race, and
society from the perspective of issues such as culture, history, gender,
identity, politics, class, the media, etc., and from the perspective of
the historical evolution of democracy in the United States. Please note
that the primary focus of this course will be on how law impacts
society, and how society impacts law. Less attention will be devoted to
the nitty-gritty of how law is legislated, or decided (case law). In
other words, this is not a course typical of a course in law school; it
is a course typical of departments such as African American Studies,
American Studies, Sociology, Political Science; and so on. However, if
you are intending to go to law school, you should still find this course
of relevance.
- This course is not
intellectually demanding (in fact, compared to your other courses, it
is probably the easiest course you will ever take in this school);
however, it is designed for those taking
no more than 15 credit hours total, and do not have a full-time job.
<--Read this sentence again. Homework, on average, will require about one "concentrated" hour per day
of your time
(which equals to about 7-8 concentrated hours per week--this is similar
to doing 3
hours of class time, plus about 4 hours of homework for an in-person
class). Note: A concentrated hour is an hour that requires full
concentration from you--that means no distractions of any kind!
- The learning outcomes for this course are available via the long form of the syllabus (see link below).
About Emails
- To foster professionalism, when you send me e-mails, they must be in
a professional format; otherwise, you may not get a response. Example
of professional format: Begin with “Dear Instructor”;… and end with
“Sincerely”, …. Plus, your name as it appears in school records.
- Emails must be sent only via UB mail and NOT via UBLearns.
- The subject heading of your email must always include these two
items: the course number, and what your email is about in a few words.
- Emails will usually be read and answered on the days this course is
scheduled. Again, all e-mails must be sent via regular UB e-mail (and
not UBLearns).
- This is a hybrid course; therefore, do not send me emails with
questions that have already been answered. If you do, I will simply ask
you to go back and read the relevant announcement / instruction that
answers your question.
- Again, because this a hybrid course, it is really important that
when you write about some clarification you need regarding an
announcement, an instruction, etc. that you quote the exact sentence or
paragraph that you are writing about. (Quoting does NOT mean taking a
picture.)
About the Homework
- Homework assignments will comprise readings AND/OR films/documentaries. Note:
Each film/documentary assignment will usually consist of two
sections--either together within one video and/or sometimes separately.
Section one will comprise class lecture materials (comprising a combination of materials such as: notes, slides,
film/video excerpts, still images, etc.), while section two will be the
film itself. Yes, for test purposes both sections will be equally
important.
- Because this is an online class, the term "homework"
refers to everything you are assigned to do in this class via
announcements on this class home page and/or via emails to you, and/or via UBLearns; that is,
it does NOT cover anything you have not been assigned in writing.
- Yes, below is the only assigned homework until any further announcements, but if you would like more let me know via e-mail.
- How to access the homework assignment for each week: follow the
"click path" indicated for each assignment below. For example, to access
the film the "Great Debaters" click on the link "Copyright Page," then
after reading the copyright notice proceed to PART A, and then after bringing up that page click on
the Class Films List, and then locate the film. Clicking on the film may require you to enter your UB username and password.
- To what should you pay close attention, as you go through these assignments? Everything!
(Repeat, everything!) Why everything? First, because completing the
homework in its entirety with absolute diligence is in itself a
learning
objective in this course, given that most (if not all) of you have never
in your entire lives ever
encountered the subject matter these assignments cover during a course of study in school. Second, because the
homework load in this course is not that heavy. Third, because there is
no class attendance, and therefore no class participation.
- To create your own subtitles, in case you need them, for material that does not have subtitles follow the instructions here.
- You
should take notes, but your notes should be very brief--repeat, very
brief--just a few key words per scene / theme / concept / idea.
You will need these notes for tests to help your remember material,
since tests are open book.
About the Tests-
Tests will comprise multiple-choice questions. Note: majority of test
questions will be aimed at determining if you did do the homework at all
AND that you did the homework diligently.
- Tests will be open book--which means if you have access to
another computer you can, if necessary, refer to the relevant homework
while taking the test.
- Tests
will carry some extra points. Why? As an insurance against the
possibility of an error or against the possibility
that you, as an individual, may find one or two questions problematic in
some way--assuming you did all assigned homework diligently--repeat,
diligently! (Needless to say, if you did not study the homework at all,
or if you did not study it diligently, you probably will find all
questions problematic. Yes?)
- Warning: Tests/quizzes will be very
demanding IF you don’t do your homework at all, or you don’t do it on on
time, or if you do it SWD (studying while distracted). NOTE: Since
tests will be every two weeks, attempting to cram about 14-15 hours of
homework (total time) into a few hours at the very last minute on test day will
NOT allow you to do well on the tests--in fact, you probably won't pass them.
- If you are allowed to retake a test, then a
12-point improvement rule applies--meaning the score on your retake must
be 12 points (or more) higher than your first original score--which must not be in the F zone. NOTE: This
means you must also redo the homework to do well on the retake.
- If you do the homework with diligence, you
should find the questions a breeze. What does with diligence mean? To do
the homework really well, that is with absolutely no distractions of
any kind--in the same way that I too have to do the homework in order to
generate the questions for the test you will be taking.
- Please note that because this is an online course, attempting to
take a test without studying for it constitutes a form of cheating.
- Please note: if you fail to take a test on the scheduled date and time
without a documented excuse acceptable to me, you may not be allowed to
do a make-up.
General Course Administrative Policies
The University’s “Student Responsibility Statement” (available here)
specifies as follows: “By accepting responsibility for their education,
students enhance the development of their academic, social and career
goals. As a condition of enrollment, students are responsible for
reviewing, understanding, and abiding by the university’s regulations,
procedures, requirements and deadlines as described in official
publications, including the university’s undergraduate catalog, UB
websites, and official university email communications. In addition, all
students are required to positively affirm their knowledge of UB’s
Student Conduct Rules, University Standards and Administrative
Regulations (available here) prior to their inaugural semester at UB.
Asserting a lack of knowledge of university regulations will not be
accepted as a basis for an exception to these regulations.” <--
Folks, read this last sentence again. UB Student Code of Conduct is
available here. The Undergraduate Catalog is available here. In other words: this course strictly abides by university policies on
(a) academic honesty (available here);
(b) discrimination (available here);
(c) sexual harassment (available here);
(d) academic freedom (see below); and
(e) classroom etiquette (available via the Undergraduate Catalog).
Academic Freedom
People, because of the kinds of topics we will be covering in this
course (relating to race, gender, class, democracy, the rule of law,
etc., etc.) which may sometimes provoke controversy among some of you,
it is really important that you understand the university’s policy on
academic freedom as it relates to faculty. This policy reads in part: The University supports the principle of academic freedom
as a concept intrinsic to the achievement of its institutional goals.
This principle implies a trust in the integrity and responsibility of
the members of the academic community. Samuel P. Capen, former
Chancellor of the University of Buffalo, who is remembered for the
tradition of academic freedom he implemented during his leadership of
the University, said in 1935:
“Acceptance by an institution of the principles of academic freedom
implies that teachers in that institution are free to investigate any
subject, no matter how much it may be hedged about by taboos; that they
are free to make known the results of their investigation and their
reflection by word of mouth or in writing, before their classes or
elsewhere; that they are free as citizens to take part in any public
controversy outside the institution; that no repressive measures, direct
or indirect, will be applied to them no matter how unpopular they may
become through opposing powerful interests or jostling established
prejudices, and no matter how mistaken they may appear to be in the eyes
of members and friends of the institution; that their continuance in
office will be in all instances governed by the prevailing rules of
tenure and that their academic advancement will be dependent on their
scientific competence and will be in no way affected by the popularity
or unpopularity of their opinions or utterances….”
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