CLASS PROCESS -- LER 100 “Introduction to Labor Studies”

LER Online ClassesAbout the InstructorAbout LERLabor StudiesExams and AssignmentsExtra Credit Opportunities

Forum Grading: OverviewForum Grading: ContentForum Grading: TimingForum Grading: NumberForum Posting: Helpful suggestionsLate Papers, Incompletes, and Withdrawals Plagiarism and Cheating

LER ONLINE COURSES Think of this class as an online version of a classroom seminar. The heart of LER online courses are the Discussion Forums where, after students review assigned reading and videos, questions are posed for you to address. Your instructor will regularly post to the Discussion Forums -- answering questions, posing new questions, adding new information and links to more readings, and asking you to expand on what you’ve written. But the course will succeed or fail based on the degree to which students actively participate. In undergraduate classroom courses, participation in discussions is either not graded or constitutes only a small percentage of a student’s course grade. In LER online courses, however, Discussion Forum participation is required and is 40% to 50% of the course grade.

You must be very diligent in this course, because the workload is equal to that of a face-to-face course. You will need to set aside time at least several days each week to complete all of the reading, to read each day’s posts by your instructor and classmates, and to post to the Discussion Forums. In a classroom course there is a set schedule. However, there are no classroom meetings in an online class. An online course requires students to be very organized about their course work. Without self-discipline, you cannot be a successful online learner.

In many classroom courses a student can fall behind on assigned reading and cram before an exam. In LER online classes this isn’t possible. In each segment a student must complete all reading and watch assigned videos, and then post in each forum at least three substantial posts on three separate days demonstrating she has analyzed the material.

Everything you need to take this course is available on your Compass home page (“course content”) as you enter the course. Click on any segment folder and you will find icons for: Instructor’s Lecture, Compass Readings (web-based readings), Videos and Segment Deadlines. Discussion Forums, Assignments and Exams, and “My Grades” can be found on the main left-hand menu.

Be sure to click on the folder “Welcome to LER 100” at the top of your course content page. It contains the syllabus, instructor’s video, and details on class logistics. To contact your instructor, click the “Email” link on the left-hand main menu and highlight your instructor’s name. Do not email “all instructors” as your email will also go to LER staff who provide technical support on Compass.

I will usually log onto the course daily to read forum posts and emails. If you email me – and please only use Compass email -- my response time is typically same-day but might occasionally be 36 hours. I expect that if your home computer crashes or Internet access fails, you will use a university computer or a friend’s computer to access course materials and to submit exams and papers, and to post to forums. “My computer or Internet crashed so I couldn’t do class assignments” is not an acceptable excuse.

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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR My name is Jacob Lesniewski, and I am a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. My dissertation is an ethnographic study of a workers center in Chicago that attempts to better understand how workers centers attempt to improve the conditions of work for low-wage workers. I have spent significant time studying and working within the labor movement in Chicago and beyond. I began my career as a community development worker in Guatemala and have worked as an organizer in various Chicago neighborhoods and campaigns. I have taught graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Chicago and Wheaton (IL) College and served as the internship coordinator for the Human Rights Program at the University of Chicago.

THE SCHOOL OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSThe School of Labor and Employment Relations, until 2008 called the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, was formed in 1946. The School is dedicated to advancing theory, policy, and practice in all aspects of labor and employment relations. The School is one of the premier programs in the country teaching graduate students pursuing a Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations degree or a Ph.D. in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Graduate students take HR/IR classes at the LER building at 504 E. Armory on the UIUC campus.

In addition, LER’s labor studies faculty, who are located both on the UIUC campus and in a Chicago office, teach non-credit courses for workers and unionists across Illinois, and teach undergraduate courses in the Global Labor Studies program. Global Labor Studies courses analyze issues facing workers and the labor movement from a multi-disciplinary perspective, drawing on and synthesizing the fields of sociology, history, economics, political science, business, international studies, and industrial relations. LER offers a GLS minor for full-time UIUC students, and a Certificate in Global Labor Studies for non-traditional students. See details at the GLS website at http://go.illinois.edu/laboronline or email questions to illinoislabored@illinois.edu.

LABOR STUDIES LER Global Labor Studies’ courses discuss complex issues about work, poverty, social class, racism and sexism in the workplace, labor and employment laws, globalization, and labor relations.  The goal in every course is to analyze these topics from the perspective of how working people are affected, and how working people have organized themselves to achieve a more just society. We want students to experience the world through the eyes of working people. This means viewing our workplaces, our economy, our legal system, our society, and our culture in terms of how it looks to people who are trying to make a living by selling their labor.  

Global Labor Studies classes take as a basic assumption the idea that workers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity on the job, deserve a healthy and safe workplace, deserve to be well compensated in wages and benefits, and have a right to associate together in unions in order to exert pressure on employers and governments to protect and improve their labor standards.

All views are embraced in this class.  A class with lively discussions, disagreements, and debates is the best possible learning experience.  I want to strongly encourage you to speak up (through your written posts) and respectfully challenge arguments or information with which you disagree. 

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EXAMS AND ASSIGNMENTSAll assignments and exams must be completed by the deadline. Missed assignments and exams will result in zero points. Extensions will not be considered without documentation from the Emergency Dean.

There are four exams, each worth 25 points, taken at Assessments on Compass with multiple choice and true/false questions drawn from the reading. Each exam is open for the length of one segment and closes at 11:30 p.m. the last day of the segment. There are no extensions on missed exams. You have 40 minutes to take each exam. Once you open an exam, you must complete it in one sitting. Compass will automatically save and submit your exam when the time limit has been reached.

You may take each exam three times. There are 25 questions on each exam which are randomly chosen from a larger pool of questions. Each time you take the exam some of the questions will be different. The questions will be in a different order each time you take the exam. One question at a time will appear on your computer screen; at any time you can go back to revisit a question.

After you complete the exam you will not know which questions you got wrong, only your total score. If you are not satisfied with your grade when you first take the exam, you can further study the material and then re-take the exam. Only your highest grade will appear in the Grade Center.

You are required to take the Class Process Test, worth 5 points, by 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2. Study this Class Process file and then take the exam. The exam’s twenty multiple-choice and true-false questions cover forum participation and grading, cheating and plagiarism, and course rules. You may only take the exam one time. You must complete the exam once you open it.

The Family History Paper is due at the end of the labor history segment by 11:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11. Your assignment is to interview several members of your family about your family work history. Write a 3 to 6 double-spaced pages essay describing your family’s work history as far back as your grandparents (or, if possible, your great grandparents). Describe what your parents and grandparents do/did for work, and the types of problems they dealt with in their work. This paper is worth 15 points. Details are in Assignments, where you will also upload the completed paper as an attachment.

The Final Exam, worth 100 points, is taken on Assessments on Compass and covers all course material. Students will answer four questions with four short essays. The four questions will be randomly drawn from a large pool of questions. The exam will be accessible from 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 11 until 11:30 p.m. on Monday, May 12. When you open the exam you will have 2 hours to complete the questions. You must complete the exam once you have opened it. Students must take the exam to pass the course. Read more about the exam in the “Final Exam Description” in the last segment’s folder.

The University of Illinois and the School of Labor and Employment Relations seek to meet the needs of all students. If you have a disability, please contact the DRES (Disability Resources Educational Services) office for assistance. They will issue you a letter to email to your instructor outlining accommodations to meet your needs.

If, at the end of the semester, you feel you did not get the grade you deserve, and you have discussed the matter with your instructor, you may appeal your grade to the Director of the LER Labor

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Education Program, Prof. Robert Bruno at bbruno@illinois.edu. Appeals are not accepted once the next semester has begun.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES Students have the option of writing an extra credit paper on the 2012 Chicago Teachers Union strike. Information on the extra credit paper, including a lecture, reading, and videos are located in the Extra Credit folder on your Compass homepage. The paper is worth up to 10 points. Extra credit points cannot be used to boost a course grade to an A+. Too brief and poor quality papers will receive zero points. Extra Credit papers are due in Assignments no later than 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7. There are no extensions.

Every semester the LER Global Labor Studies program sponsors a campus forum to discuss contemporary events.  The spring forum features LER professor Dan Gilbert, whose new book is Expanding the Strike Zone: Baseball in the Age of Free Agency, and Lester Munson, ESPN.com senior writer and legal analyst, speaking on labor relations in sports.  There’s a lot to discuss.  Why do there seem to be more lock-outs in sports than other areas of the economy?  Why are the Northwestern University football players organizing a union?  Is the racial and sexual harassment on the Miami Dolphins football team common in the NFL?  The event is on Wednesday, April 16 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Main Library auditorium room 66.  Students can earn up to 7 extra credit points by attending and writing at least a two double-spaced page paper; details on the paper are in Assignments. We ask students to show respect to the invited guests by attending the entire 90-minute forum and not leaving early.  Students taking more than one GLS class can submit a paper to only one class.  There are no extensions.  

For the last segment you are reading the book “Staley” about the mid-1990s labor struggle at A.E. Staley in nearby Decatur, Illinois. On Friday, May 2 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the David Kinley Hall 114 auditorium, several of the Staley workers who are featured in the book will answer your questions. Students can earn up to 8 extra credit points by attending and writing at least a two double-spaced page paper by Monday, May 5. We ask students to show respect to the invited guests by attending the entire 90-minute forum and not leaving early. Details on the paper are in Assignments. There are no extensions.

To prompt every student to fill out the online ICES course evaluation form at the end of the semester, if 85% or more of active students in the class fill it out, then each student earns 2 extra credit points.

FORUM GRADING: OVERVIEW The Discussion Forums are each worth 15 participation points. Participation is therefore 41% of your course grade. Forum grading is designed to create an atmosphere in the forums similar to a classroom seminar. The goal is to engage you in a lively discussion about the course reading, lectures, students’ posts, and the instructor’s posts. Each forum is graded separately.

You are required to post at least three times to each of the Discussion Forums, and to regularly read all forum posts. It is expected and required that you will have completed all the assigned reading each segment and that you will join the discussion forums prepared to thoughtfully read, write, and learn.

Your participation in each forum is graded on content, number, and timing. If you read the forum posts, post at least three times on different days, make at least one substantial post in the first half of a segment, and demonstrate in the totality of your posts that you’ve analyzed the reading and videos,

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then you’ll earn an “A” grade (14 or 15 points). Plus, you’ll have fully engaged the course material. Especially in the first two segments’ forums, be sure to click on your forum grade to view the grading matrix and read comments, so you will know how to improve your posts and your forum grades.

Forum Grading Matrix No Posts F D C B A

Content 0 5 6 7 8 9Number 0 0 0 1 2 3Timing 0 0 0 1 2 3

FORUM GRADING: CONTENTContent is worth up to 9 points out of the 15 possible points in each forum. To earn an “A” for content your posts in each forum must demonstrate that you have read and analyzed the readings and videos; and you must engage the instructor and other students in the discussion.

Here are some frequently asked questions about grading for content: What does “substantial” mean? Your posts must demonstrate you have reviewed assigned

reading and videos. Posts which are short, opinions, or anecdotal are welcome – but they should be in addition to your three substantial posts. Your second or third posts can’t be a reiteration of what you wrote in your first post, and they cannot boil down to “I agree with you.”  They need add something to the discussion.

Can I post only three times? No, you can post as many times as you like, and posting more than the minimum three times will increase your chances of earning high content points.

Can all my posts be made using ‘create thread’? No. At least two of your posts must be replies to student posts or the instructor’s posts.

Does one of my posts have to be made using ‘create message,’ or can all of my posts be replies to other students’ posts or the instructor’s posts? All of your posts can be replies. If your first post is on a segment’s fifth or sixth day, for example, and a dozen students have already posted using ‘create message,” then you might choose to reply to a student’s post or the instructor’s post.

The grader wrote a comment about my not citing sources. What did she mean? To get high content points you need to demonstrate you have reviewed and analyzed assigned reading and videos by making specific references to material. The best posts will cite specific pages in texts you are discussing.

FORUM GRADING: TIMING Timing is worth up to 3 points out of the 15 possible points in each forum. You must post a substantial post to each forum in the first half of a segment or timing points will be deducted.

Timing Deadlines for Grading Segments 1, 3, and 4 (8 day segments)First post on days 1 to 5: 3 of 3 possible timing pointsFirst post on day 6: 2 of 3 possible timing points First post on day 7: 1 of 3 possible timing pointsFirst post on day 8: 0 of 3 possible timing points

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Timing Deadlines for Grading Segments 2 and 5 (9-10 day segments)First post on days 1 to 5: 3 of 3 possible timing pointsFirst post on day 6: 2 of 3 possible timing pointsFirst post on days 7: 1 of 3 possible timing pointsFirst post on days 8, 9, or 10: 0 of 3 possible timing points

Here are some frequently asked questions about grading for timing:

Why do you grade for timing? Why can’t I just post before the segment closes? If we did not grade students’ posts for timing, then a large number of posts would come on the last day or two of the segment. Grading for timing is done to encourage students to post early so that we can create a back-and-forth discussion in the forums akin to a classroom seminar.

If my first post has to be in the first half of the segment, when should my other posts be? Your other posts can be at any time within the segment, although in each forum you must post on three different days to get full number points. We strongly encourage you not to wait until the last day or two of the segment so that other students will have a chance to read and respond to what you’ve written.

Can I post more than one time in a forum on the same day? Yes. But you’ll still need to post on three separate days to earn full “number” points.

Can I post to different forums on the same day? Yes.

I posted in the first half of one forum in a segment, but I lost timing points in the other forums. Why? Because each forum is graded separately from the others. Each forum is graded for timing. You have to post a substantial post in the first half of a segment in each forum.

Can I post to a segment that hasn’t opened yet? No. You have to wait until a segment opens to post to those forums.

FORUM GRADING: NUMBERNumber is worth up to 3 points out of the 15 possible points in each forum. You have to post at least three substantial posts in each forum, on three separate days, to get three number points. Here are some frequently asked questions about grading for the number of your posts:

Can I post more than one time in a forum on the same day? Yes. We welcome students posting twice or more to one forum on the same day. However, you have to post on three separate days in each forum to earn full number points.

Can I only post three times to each forum? No. We encourage students to fully engage in the discussion and post multiple times in each forum. You can post as many times as you like. And when you post more than the minimum three substantial posts, you increase the chances of earning high content points in forum grading.

I posted three times on three different days – why did I get graded down for number points? It might have been because your second or third post was not substantial. You will lose points if you only post three times and one or more of your posts was along the lines of “I agree, good

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point, well said, I made the same point myself,” or if your second or third posts reiterate the same points you made in your first post.

Moreover, if your post is less than 150 words in length, it cannot count as a stand-alone post toward number points. Your course grader will write comments explaining why you lost points. If after reading those comments you still have questions about your grade, email your instructor.

I posted three substantial posts in one forum, but I lost number points in the other two forums. Why? Each forum is graded separately from the others. Each forum is graded for the number of posts. You have to post three substantial posts, on three separate days, in each forum.

FORUM POSTING: HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS Here are some helpful suggestions in making your posts:

The standard for how to act in a GLS online class is the “golden rule” as it applies to any classroom: Join the discussion in the same way that you’d like to see others participate. Be respectful of differences. When you post your thoughts to the discussion forums there will naturally be a variety of perspectives. We expect you to disagree respectfully – to treat one another the way you would want to be treated. There must not be name-calling, profanity, or derogatory comments.

Stay on topic. Use paragraphs, with a line between each paragraph, in your forum posts. Keep your paragraphs under seven sentences. It’s very difficult to read long posts that aren’t broken up into paragraphs.

After you post, check your post to make sure the formatting is correct. Make sure your paragraphs are not too long. Make sure there is a blank line between paragraphs. Make sure your entire post is in a readable-size font, and that the post is all in the same font. To ensure this, you can highlight your text and click on the rightward-leaning rectangle icon (“Remove Formatting”) to format your post.

Use proper punctuation. Do not post everything in lower caps. Posts such as this are unacceptable: “i think that helen and joe arent correct. bob made a stronger case that i agree with.”

We must understand your meaning in order to grade your forums, so please edit your posts and papers before submitting them, or have a friend do so for you. This is especially true if English is not your first language. You can also get assistance at the UIUC Writers’ Workshop.

Do not post in caps. WHEN YOU WRITE LIKE THIS online it means that you are shouting.

If you find a typo in an earlier post or something you left out, do not edit it. If you do so the date will change, and there is no way of proving that you actually posted earlier. If you find something in an earlier post that needs correcting, put up a new post and add the new material.

MISSED WORK, INCOMPLETES, AND WITHDRAWALSIf you miss assigned course work (exams, forum posts, papers) you will receive zero points unless you have documentation of a medical or personal emergency from the Emergency Dean. In that case

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your instructor may decide to allow make-up work.  You must immediately contact your instructor or this option will not be considered.  If students miss large amounts of work they should consider dropping the class.  If the drop deadline has passed, contact your school to get permission to withdraw from the class.

A grade of “Incomplete” may be given only in extraordinary circumstances and is the discretion of your college which will consult with your instructor. To request permission to get an incomplete you must go to your college office to seek authorization and to have a form signed. Incompletes are not automatically issued; there must be a valid reason such as a medical emergency and generally the student must have completed the bulk of the coursework. LER instructors do not approve incompletes, late drops, or withdrawals. Get the form from your college, email it to your instructor who will answer questions about your coursework, and then email the form to the appropriate person in your department or school.

PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct will be dealt with severely. You should familiarize yourself with the “Academic Integrity” section of the University of Illinois Student Code. The Class Process Test includes eight questions on plagiarism and cheating.

It is a violation of academic integrity that will result in severe punishment if you:

1. Copy material from the web and falsely submit it as your own work in a forum post, paper, or exam.

2. Copy material written by another student and falsely submit it as your own work in a forum post, paper, or exam.

3. Submit similarly worded essay exams, forum posts, or papers as those of other students. Students can study together, but you cannot submit material that is similar to another student’s.

4. Facilitate cheating or plagiarism by sharing with another student your forum posts, exam questions, or your exam answers.

5. Submit an extra credit paper that you have submitted to another class.

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