Brett S. Sharp, Ph.D.
|
Brett S. Sharp, Ph.D. |
|
|
Political Science 4930: Environmental Policy in States University of Central Oklahoma: Spring 2005
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Brett S. Sharp, Assistant Professor, has considerable professional and administrative experience in both government and business. He received his Ph.D. and Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science/Public Affairs with a minor in Religious Studies from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Sharp is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the Society for Human Resource Management. He is currently the Associate Director of the Oklahoma Policy Research Center at UCO and a past president of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. He was recently named the Oklahoma Political Science Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Political Science Association as well as the UCO College of Liberal Arts Junior Faculty Member of the Year. Office Hours: Mondays 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM or Fridays 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (and by appointment) Office: LAR 102-J (in the Political Science suite) E-Mail: bsharp@ucok.edu Telephone: (405) 974-5526 (with voice mail) FAX: (405) 974-3823 Web Site: http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/political/faculty/sharp
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course introduces students to environmental policy and politics at the state level. The particular case of Oklahoma will be used to illustrate the role of intergovernmental relations, interest group politics, and public/private sector partnerships to achieve solutions to challenging environmental problems.
TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING EXPERIENCES: Through readings, instructor guidance, and independent research, students will conduct a policy analysis project pertaining to an environmental issue in the state of Oklahoma.
TEXTS Oklahoma Academy for State Goals. (2004). Oklahoma’s Environment: Pursuing a Responsible Balance. [Available on the web or on loan from the professor] Scott, Gregory M. & Garrison, Stephen M. (2004). The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. [Available at UCO Bookstore]
EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING Instructor will determine course grades using the following scale: 90 -100 = A 80 - 89 = B 70 - 79 = C 60 - 69 = D 0 - 59 = F Grading Components Include: Discussion of Readings with Professor 10% Policy Analysis Research Paper 90%
Course Schedule - Spring 2004
REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICY ANALYSIS RESEARCH PAPER Each student will write a 20-30 page, double-spaced research paper for this course. You will choose a topic that directly relates to some aspect of environmental policy or politics in the state of Oklahoma. You must cite enough references to make your paper convincing. You must cite enough references to make your paper convincing. Superior papers will demonstrate a significant measure of original research and should be of sufficient quality to submit to a state or regional, peer-reviewed political science or policy journal (such as Oklahoma Politics or Oklahoma Policy Studies Review). Students must follow the American Political Science Association Author Date System (see discussion and examples in Scott & Garrison’s The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual). Selection of a research topic must be made by Monday, March 7 and subsequently must receive instructor’s approval. The first draft of the research paper (including title page, outline, first three pages, and preliminary list of references) is due on Friday, March 25.
The final draft of the research paper is due by 5:00 PM, Friday, April 29. The papers will be graded on topic selection, presentation/format, grammar, style, research documentation, research quality, methodology, content delivery, and analysis. Please refer to the discussion of plagiarism in the Academic Integrity Statement attached to the syllabus as well as the section on Ethical Use of Source Material on pages 145-148 in The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual.
ADA STATEMENT The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should make their requests by contacting the coordinator of Disability Support Services, Kimberly Fields at 974-2549. The office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 415. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs by the end of the first week of class.
ACADEMIC HONESTY Cheating = Failure (please refer to attached Academic Integrity Statement). Cheating is unacceptable conduct and will result in an automatic grade of "F" for the course, and be reported to Academic Affairs. Students are required to do all of the work for this class on their own. Copying answers to exercises or examinations from anyone constitutes cheating. Allowing another student to copy one’s answers will be treated as cheating. Consulting with the instructor about any assignment does not constitute cheating and is encouraged.
The Political Science Department of the University of Central Oklahoma is asking all students taking political science courses to read the following Academic Integrity Statement. Our purpose in doing so is to ensure that all our students are aware of what is improper academic behavior.
Academic Integrity Statement As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The Political Science Department expects that its students will conduct themselves honestly. This means, above all, that students submit for credit work that is the product of their own efforts. Principles of academic integrity require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit, and that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable conduct in the course of their academic work. The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and integrity is judged. The list is merely illustrative of some of the more common infractions. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Any question a student has about what constitutes inappropriate behavior should be directed towards their instructor. The rule of thumb to follow is: If in doubt, ASK!
Definitions and Examples Plagiarism - Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes not only the exact use of another’s words, word for word, but also the paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. In case of doubt, give a citation of the author you are using. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will result in a failing grade on the work in question, and perhaps, for the entire course.
Cheating on Examinations - Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or "crib sheets" during an examination (unless receiving instructor approval), or sharing information with another student either during or after an examination.
Falsification - It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or to fabricate information in an academic exercise or assignment (e.g. false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data).
Multiple Submissions - It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor to whom the material is being submitted the second time.
|
