Syllabus  *Note, this syllabus is suspended for Spring 2020 due to COVID19

Kingsborough Community College of the

City University of New York

 

Course Number and Title: Pol 6600-01       Constitutional Law

Credits: Three
Professor: Jason M. Leggett, J.D.

Office Hours, Location, and how to reach me.
Office: D-221 email me or see me after class for times to meet
Email me: jason.leggett@kbcc.cuny.edu

CUNYFIRST Course Description:
Constitutional Law is designed for, but not limited to, students interested in a pre-law curriculum. United States Supreme Court decisions and opinions in several major areas of constitutional law will be studied. Successful completion of this course satisfies one Civic Engagement interaction.

Student Learning Outcomes
There are a variety of learning outcomes that may affect you. Please see me and let me know what program you are in or if you have any questions. Here are some of the possible outcomes.

If Liberal Arts See: This is an “American Politics” Course

If CRJ See: This is a required “Criminal Justice” Course

Civic Engagement Learning Outcomes for Final Paper

Required Materials and Class Preparation:

Law and Identity, Publisher: University Readers, Preliminary Edition, Year Published: 2017. If you need any help ordering from the Cognella student store, email orders@cognella.com ; You may also be able to buy the book in the College Bookstore. Click here to order online.

Our Course Materials are found on the Course Website at: https://jasonmleggett.commons.gc.cuny.edu/assignments/

Additional Resources including video, pictures, and audio to supplement: https://imagine1civic.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

Recommended Materials:

What should students already have read?
It would be helpful if you had read the following materials prior to enrolling in this class:

1. United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
2. Constitutional Amendments
3. Federalist Papers
4. Anti-Federalist Papers

View and get familiar with your rights and responsibilites, including any punishments you might receive and the grade appeal information from the Student Conduct office and pay special attention to the Student Handbook – see: https://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/hb/Homepage.html

Kingsborough Email, Announcements, Blackboard, other websites:

1. Your Kingsborough email is important because you get a variety of notifications including scholarships, financial aid, problems with your registration, class information, college closures, events, and more.

2. I am not required to use Blackboard and will not be using it because it fails to protect your privacy and my academic freedom.

3. I make my own website using the CUNY Commons because I have more control over the design and work that you submit using this interface. It is accessible on any device and browser. You should save or bookmark this website because it is the one I will refer to most often:
https://jleggett.commons.gc.cuny.edu

Academic Integretity and what is plagiarism?

1. You are supposed to produce your understanding of the learning materials and not copy work produced by others.

2. You should not copy or use other classmates work.

3. You should not copy and paste words from websites or journal articles into your essays.

4. You should read and refer often to this website: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/teacher_and_tutor_resources/preventing_plagiarism/avoiding_plagiarism/index.html

Accessibility and Campus Services

1. I utilize a motivational framework for all students to learn.

 

2. You should contact me if you have any questions or
concerns.

3. You should review the policy on accessibility and services

4. You can visit the Accessibility office at D-205 or email at AAS@kbcc.cuny.edu.

Course Work and Grading:

Extra Credit: I offer and encourage a variety of extra credit assignments. This work will result up to 10% increase in your final grade. Email me if you are interested in doing extra work.

Assessment/Grading: I will use a points based approach this semester. This rewards you for your work. Most assignments will be graded pass/fail; this means that if you do the work you will get full points. If you do not complete the work you will not get credit. On the Exams your score will reflect the number of correct answers. The Final Paper will be graded using a Rubric which will be provided to you in advance. It would be better if you keep track of your points but I can also let you know how you are doing in the course. However, it may be necessary to do this over video chat for legal purposes for an exact score. I can provide a general feedback over email.

Breakdown: 200 Total Points

An A+ in my class requires extra credit on top of a minimum score of 180 on work.

180+ A

170+ B+

160+ B-

145+ C+

135+ C-

111+ D

110 – F

 

Reading Quizes: 10 Points (5 Points each quiz) Full Points for Completing. 1/2 for late entries.

Discussion Questions: 30 Points (10 Points each Set) Full Points for Completing. 1/2 for late entries.

Inquiry Questions: 10 Points (5 Points each set) Full Points for Completing. 1/2 for late entries.

In Reflection: 40 Points (10 points each section) Full Points for Completing. 1/2 for late entries.

Midterm and Final Exam: 20 Points (Midterm/Multiple Choice) and 40 Points (Final Exam Long Answer)

Final Paper: 50 points. A rubric will be provided based on a 4,3,2,1 scale and multiplied by each section of the paper. 

 

Questions/Sections for Paper: