CLASS PROCESS -- LER 100 Introduction to Labor Studies

LER Online Classes

About the Instructor
About LER
Labor Studies
Exams and Assignments
Extra Credit Opportunities

Forum Grading: Overview

Forum Grading: Content
Forum Grading: Timing
Forum Grading: Number
Forum Posting: Helpful suggestions
Late 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 youve 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 students 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 days 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 selfdiscipline, 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 isnt 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: Instructors
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, instructors video, and details on class logistics. To contact your instructor,
click the Email link on the left-hand main menu and highlight your instructors 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 friends computer to access course materials and to submit exams and papers, and to
post to forums. My computer or Internet crashed so I couldnt 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 Chicagos 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 RELATIONS
The 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, LERs 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.

EXAMS AND ASSIGNMENTS

All 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 exams twenty multiple-choice and truefalse 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 familys 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 segments 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. Theres 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 instructors 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 youve analyzed the reading and videos,
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then youll earn an A grade (14 or 15 points). Plus, youll 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
Content
0
Number
0
Timing
0

F
5
0
0

D
6
0
0

C
7
1
1

B
8
2
2

A
9
3
3

FORUM GRADING: CONTENT

Content 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 cant 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 instructors 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 instructors posts? All of your posts can be replies. If your first post
is on a segments fifth or sixth day, for example, and a dozen students have already posted using
create message, then you might choose to reply to a students post or the instructors 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 points
First post on day 6:
2 of 3 possible timing points
First post on day 7:
1 of 3 possible timing points
First 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 points
First post on day 6:
2 of 3 possible timing points
First post on days 7:
1 of 3 possible timing points
First 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 cant 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
youve written.

Can I post more than one time in a forum on the same day? Yes. But youll 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 hasnt opened yet? No. You have to wait until a segment opens to
post to those forums.

FORUM GRADING: NUMBER

Number 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
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 youd 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. Its very difficult to read long posts that arent 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.
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MISSED WORK, INCOMPLETES, AND WITHDRAWALS

If 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
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 students.
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.