COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED READINGS/VIDEOS

Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari

Breaking the Taboo (Streaming on Netflix)

The House I Live In ($1.99 YouTube rental)

Additional readings are posted on Canvas

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will study substance abuse from humanitarian, trans-national and public health perspectives. Students will examine global alcohol and other drug policies assessing their impact at the regional, state, national, and international levels. Emphasis will be given to the contemporary phases of alcohol and other drug policies and the war on drugs.

As the world becomes more interconnected through globalization and technology, new strategies and international cooperation are needed to solve common problems such as drug abuse, trafficking and related violence. At their core drug use and addiction are health problems; however they are intrinsically linked to crime and criminal justice in most countries. Today, terrorism, drug trafficking, guns, homicide, sexual health, organized crime, and law enforcement are the primary focus of drug prevention rather than public health. Issues surrounding the definition, incidence, trends, control, treatment and prevention of addiction will be explored using theoretical and empirical resources

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this session the student should be able to:

1. Understand how public policy affects alcohol and other drug use norms, availability, and consequences.
2. Compare the health impact of alcohol and other drug policies on individuals and populations;
3. Identify the socio-economic and political conditions underlying alcohol and other drug use, drug cultivation, trafficking and sales across cultures and countries.
4. Explain the legal and organizational structures of alcohol and other drug policies in select countries; national and international policy and law enforcement systems with regard to illicit alcohol and other drug cultivation, trafficking and sales.
5. Describe how an individual's personal and cultural background frames their relationship to and use of substances.

COURSE POLICIES

ADDING/DROPPING CLASSES

Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on e-campus.

The deadline for a adding a summer class through MyMadison without instructor and academic unit head signatures is 5/17/17.

The deadline for adding a summer class with instructor and academic unit head signatures is 5/19/17. No exceptions will be made to these deadlines.

PARTICIPATION

Class participation is strongly encouraged and most welcome. Class expectations are that students contribute to lectures and discussions or share their thoughts on the readings. Because of the wide range of topics covered in this course, there may be several viewpoints on any of the issues. Therefore, it is imperative that everyone be respectful of others who are contributing to the class.

There will be many opportunities for interaction, discussion, dialog, and group work. Students are expected to read the assigned readings and participate in class.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

The use of the intellectual property of other without attributing it to them is considered a serious academic offense. Cheating or plagiarism will result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course. Repeat offenses will result in dismissal from the university.

Making references to the work of others strengthens your own work by granting your greater authority and by showing that you are part of a discussion located within an intellectual community. When you make references to the ideas of others, it is essential to provide proper attribution and citation. Failing to do so is considered academically dishonest, as is copying or paraphrasing someone else’s work. We value collaborative work and you are encouraged to share ideas and to include the ideas of others in your work. Please ask if you are in doubt the use of a citation. Honest mistakes can always corrected or prevented.

The JMU Honor Code is available from the Honor Council Website: http://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.shtml

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact the Office of Disability Services (Student Success Center, Suite 1202, www.jmu.edu/ods, 540-568-6705) if you have not previously done so. Disability Services will provide you with an Access Plan Letter that will verify your need for services and make recommendations for accommodations to be used in the classroom. Once you have presented me with this letter, you and I will review your requested accommodations to develop an individualized plan appropriate for the course.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVATION ACCOMMODATIONS

All faculty are required to give reasonable and appropriate accommodations to students requesting them on grounds of religious observation. The faculty member determines what accommodations are appropriate for the course. Students should notify the faculty no later than the Drop/Add period the first week of the semester with the potential scheduled absences and determine with the faculty if mutually acceptable alternative methods exist for completing the missed class time or activity

CLASS CONDUCT/EXPECTATIONS

• Students are responsible for all information contained in the text, presented in lectures and discussions, demonstrations, videos, and/or audiovisual presentations. 
• All assigned reading material is testable, even if it has not been discussed in the lecture.  Students are expected to read the assigned material before class.
• Students are expected to be respectful to fellow students and faculty at all times, disrespect will not be tolerated.

Failure to abide by all of these rules and regulations may lead to a variety of disciplinary actions including but not limited to:

• A failing grade
• Removal from this class
• A summons to appear before the Judiciary Council
• Being place on probation
• And/or expulsion from the university

COURSE EVALUATION

All grades will be posted on Canvas. Each student is responsible for checking their grades and asking questions if something has been recorded wrong. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OF CLASS TO CHECK YOUR GRADES AND THEN ASK IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO IF YOU DON’T LIKE YOUR GRADE. You have four weeks to earn points, once the last week is here there is little, if anything that can be done to change your grade.

EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE ON 6/9/17 BY 11:55PM. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

Grades will be updated each Monday and the student must check their grades on a regular basis to make sure everything has been recorded correctly. Throughout the session any discrepancies in your grade must be emailed to me within ONE WEEK of receiving your grade for a quiz, exam or assignment. The subject line of the email MUST READ:  Grade Discrepancies – Your Name. These emails will serve as the official record of any grade discrepancies and resolutions. 

Exams (4 @ 50 points each)	200
Multimedia Education Project (35 - final project and 10 - two sources)	45
Student Led Discussion	70
Discussion Responses (7 @ 3 points each)	21
Quizzes (6 @ 5 points each)	30
Total	366

POINT SCALE

A	335 - 366
A-	324 - 334
B+	313 - 323
B	302 - 312
B-	291 - 301
C+	280 - 290
C	266 - 279
C-	255 - 265
D+	244 - 254
D	218 - 243
F	223 and below

 

All work submitted for academic credit in this class is subject to the provisions of the JMU Honor System.  Please consult the 2016-2017 James Madison University Student Handbook for information related to the JMU Honor Code.  Any student who is found guilty of an honor violation will receive a grade of “F” in the course in which the violation occurred, and will not be permitted to re-take that course on a repeat/forgiveness basis.  Any questions concerning academic dishonesty should be directed to the professor. 

EXAMS

Exams will cover all readings, films, programs and discussions. They will be multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank and short answer. ALL EXAMS MUST BE COMPLETED IN RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER. Missed exams will be recorded as a zero. If an emergency occurs (personal or technological), please contact the instructor to make arrangements to reschedule the exam. Rescheduled exams must be taken IN PERSON on the last day of the summer session (June 9, 2017).

Exams will open every Friday at 3:00PM and will close every Sunday at 10:00PM. Once you open an exam you MUST finish it. You will have 75 minutes to complete the exam. For every 5 minutes you go over the 75 minutes, 5 points will be taken off your score. All exams are open notes, but you cannot use the internet while taking the exam. Exams will be graded every Monday morning. 

EXAM 1 WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 5/19 3:00PM UNTIL 10:00PM 5/21

EXAM 2 WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 5/26 3:00PM UNTIL 10:00PM 5/28

EXAM 3 WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 6/2 3:00PM UNTIL 10:00PM 6/4

EXAM 4 WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 6/9 3:00PM UNTIL 10:00PM 6/11

MULTIMEDIA EDUCATION PROJECT (DUE 5/28/17 by 5:00PM)

MULTIMEDIA EDUCATION PROJECT

Country Sign Up

Directions and Rubric 

DISCUSSIONS

Student Led Discussion Forums and Guidelines

Discussion Response Guidelines and Rubric

QUIZZES 

There will be a total of 6 quizzes the first two weeks of the session, one quiz per day. Each quiz is worth 5 points. They are multiple choice and fill in the blank. NO MAKE UPS WILL BE GIVEN FOR A MISSED QUIZ. I will reset a quiz once if something goes wrong, but only once. Daily quizzes are DUE BY 11:55PM each night.