Norfolk State University Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

Syllabus Senior Thesis: Traditional Track (INT 477)

Dr. Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D. BMH C- !" 7"7-*'+-'*7* Spring 2013 #$c hrs: M%& '-4( T -'( ) !-noon online atarroyo@nsu.edu

Nothing is so practical as a good theory. -- ,urt -e.in/ Sociolo0ist Personal Statement from the Professor It is .ith 0reat e1cite2ent that I .elco2e you to INT 4773 4s you .ill see ri0ht a.ay/ 2y style o$ instruction $ollo.s .hat is called a dialectical 2ethod3 In this classroo2 there is no such thin0 as the Teacher and the Student( instead/ $ollo.in0 the .isdo2 o$ Bra5ilian educator and acti6ist 7aulo )reire/ I a2 a Teacher-Student and you are a Student-Teacher3 &e each ha6e 2uch to learn8and .e are blessed .ith the o99ortunity to en:oy each other;s co29any $or the ne1t se6eral .eeks to $or.ard that 9rocess3 <ou ha6e .orked dili0ently to arri6e at this 9oint in your colle0e career3 No. let;s kee9 that 2o2entu2 0oin0 and ca9itali5e on this 2o2ent in ti2e .e ha6e to0ether3 Ho9e$ully .e .ill e2er0e $ro2 this course .ith 2ore than a head $ull o$ ne. $acts( but rather/ .ith 2inds e1ercised in .isdo2 and hearts 2ore attuned to the needs o$ our .orld that .e are uni=uely 9ositioned to 2eet3 Professor Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D. Course Description The 9ur9ose o$ the senior thesis is to a$$ord students the o99ortunity to de2onstrate their 0ro.in0 interdisci9linarity throu0h an action-oriented research 9ro:ect that inte0rates at least t.o disci9linary kno.led0e bases de2onstratin0 hi0h order co0niti6e skills/ na2ely analysis/ e6aluation/ and synthesis3 Students .ork closely .ith course instructor (thesis su9er6isor) to desi0n and e1ecute an interdisci9linary research thesis 9a9er3 Course Materials/Required e!ts/Supplementary Readin"s APA Manual, 6th Edition A Primer in Theory Construction/ 7aul >a6idson ?eynolds riting for !ocial !cientists/ Ho.ard S3 Becker

Related University#$ide and Course Specific Requirements The $ollo.in0 co29etencies are re=uired and assessed in INT 477: (a) .ritin0( (b) in$or2ation technolo0y literacy( and (c) critical thinkin03 By the end o$ this course/ students should be able to .rite clearly/ concisely and analytically3 Students; .ritin0s should include de2onstration o$ readin0 co29letion and co29rehension/ a99lication .hen necessary/ critical thinkin0/ inde9endent thinkin0/ analysis/ synthesis and ar0u2entation3 Students; critical thinkin0 abilities .ill be assessed on their 9resentation o$ ideas (others and their o.n)/ 9roble2-sol6in0 ca9abilities/ synthesis/ e6aluation/ analysis and clarity o$ thou0ht (includin0 lan0ua0e use and co29rehension)3 Course Policies/Requirements %ttendance &Participation'/ ardiness Policy(Students are e19ected to attend e6ery class and to be on ti2e3 )or $ace-to-$ace students/ 2issin0 2ore than '!@ o$ classes durin0 the se2ester .ill result in an auto2atic $ailure $or the course/ and e1cessi6e tardiness .ill result in a serious reduction o$ the student;s 0rade (at the 9ro$essor;s discretion)3 )or online students/ 2issin0 2ore than $our discussion boards .ill result in an auto2atic $ailure3 Cell Phone Policy(Cell 9hones should be silenced and 9ut a.ay durin0 class3 No te1tin0 is 9er2itted at any ti2e3 Discussion )oard Requirements &online courses only' * ?e0ular 9artici9ation in the discussion boards is e19ected3 See belo.3 +ate $ork Policy ## -ate .ork is not acce9ted unless 9rior authori5ation has been 0i6en or a doctor;s note is 9ro6ided a$ter the $act3 In the e6ent late .ork is acce9ted/ it is sub:ect to 9oint deductions at the discretion o$ the 9ro$essor/ u9 to !@ 9er day3 ,mail * #nly o$$icial NSA e2ail accounts should be used $or course corres9ondence3 Students should check their e2ail a 2ini2u2 o$ three ti2es 9er .eek to a6oid 2issin0 6ital course announce2ents3 $eather Policy(In case o$ incle2ent .eather/ students should listen to local 2a:or radio and tele6ision stations( 6isit the NSA .ebsite at ...3nsu3edu( and%or call the Ani6ersity o9erator at 7"7-*'+-*B!!3 Students are res9onsible to be 9resent $or class unless an o$$icial closure has been announced3 #nline courses are not sub:ect to uni6ersity closures3 Incomplete Policy(<ou 2ust be 9assin0 the course and ha6e co29leted at least "!@ o$ the .ork in order to =uali$y $or an inco29lete at the 9ro$essor;s discretion3 Inco29letes are rarely 0ranted3 Disa-ility Policy(In accordance .ith section "!4 o$ the C7+ ?ehabilitation 4ct and the 42erican .ith >isabilities (4>4) o$ CC!/ any student .ith a disability or .ho thinks s%he 2ay ha6e a disability/ 9lease 2ake contact .ith the Su99ortin0 Students throu0h >isability Ser6ices (SS>S) #$$ice3 %cademic Inte"rity/Pla"iarism Policy(7la0iaris2 is de$ined as usin0 other 9eo9le;s .ork as your o.n .ithout creditin0 the2/ includin0 but not li2ited to: co9yin0 others; notes/ e1a2s/ essays/ or in$or2ation/ =uotin0 and 9ara9hrasin0 others; ideas .ithout 0i6in0 the2 credit and 9ro9er docu2entation( usin0 in$or2ation $ro2 the internet .ithout 9ro9erly citin0 source/ .ebsite address

(A?-)/ author/ date/ etc3 7la0iaris2 is a $or2 o$ cheatin0 and .ill result in an assi0n2ent 0rade o$ ) and 9ossibly an o6erall course 0rade o$ )3 4ny instance o$ acade2ic dishonesty .ill N#T be tolerated3 See the student handbook $or a descri9tion o$ the honor 9olicy and the conse=uences $or 6iolations3 Use of the $orld $ide $e- for research()or this and all courses I teach/ the $ollo.in0 sources are acce9table: books/ 2a0a5ines/ ne.s9a9ers/ and scholarly :ournals3 No .ebsites are acce9ted $or research 9ur9oses in any 9a9er%9ro:ect3 This includes &iki9edia3 Success Policy(The best 9olicy $or success in any course is 9re9aration/ ti2e 2ana0e2ent/ and constant co22unication .ith the 9ro$essor3 Be 9roacti6e instead o$ reacti6e3 4ttendin0 colle0e is a 9ri6ile0e/ not a ri0ht3 <ou are accountable $or e6erythin0 that is in this syllabus/ and e6erythin0 co6ered in class3 The buck sto9s .ith <#AD .radin" Scale/ !!-C" E 4 (Su9erior) C4-C! E 4*C-*7 E BF (Gery Hood) *B-*4 E B *+-*! E B7C-77 E CF (46era0e to 4de=uate) 7B-74 E C (INT 2a:ors 2ust earn C or better to 0ain credit to.ards 0raduation3) 7'-7! E CBC-B7 E >F BB-B4 E > B+-B! E >"C I belo. E )

%ssi"nments Discussion participation Proposal hesis

01 201 341

Course %ssi"nments and Schedule ,mail the proposal and final thesis in MS $ord as attachments to atarroyo5nsu6edu -y the dates listed -elo76 Proposal due date 8 9e- 2: 22/0;pm 9inal thesis due date 8 %pril 20: 22/0;pm Discussion -oards due dates E see Blackboard3 Ne. discussion boards .ill be o9ened at 6arious inter6als throu0hout the course3 <our 9artici9ation is e19ected3 Jach student should lo0 into Blackboard '-+ ti2es .eekly and 9ost at least '-+ ti2es in e6ery ne. discussion board3 There is no 0oin0 back .hen a board is closed3 <ou 2ust stay u9 .ith

the class and lo0 into Blackboard re0ularly3 The discussion boards .ill be tied to the course te1tbooks and other readin0s/ .hich .ill be assi0ned as .e 0o alon03 #ne discussion 0rade .ill be 0i6en at the end o$ the se2ester under the 0rade book headin0 o$ Kcourse 9artici9ation3L This is an intensi6e course re=uirin0 your constant en0a0e2ent and disci9line3 Stay .ith itD