Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Pols 3520 Civil Rights and Liberties Syllabus

POLS 3520-30I

Course: POLS 3520-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 32474

Course Description

This is a survey course of issues involved in the general topic of civil rights. Particular emphasis has been placed on civil rights issues involved in the interaction of citizens with law enforcement, including immigration authorities, military and government intelligence officers, and officers employed in the criminal justice system. Additionally, the civil rights of minority groups and the threats to them that have arisen in recent year will be addressed.
 

Required Texts

Course Materials
  • I assume the students in this class took American Government Pols 1100 and own the textbook We the People, Ginsberg et al. 12th or 13th Edition, published by Norton. If not, you should be able to obtain a used copy, or borrow one from another student and read Chapter 4 Civil Liberties and Chapter 5 Civil Rights.
  • If you took my course in Constitutional Law, then the textbook Constitutional Law–Principles and Politics, 6th Edition, Erwin Chemerinsky, published by Wolters Kluwer is of great use to you. Read Chapters 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
  • As explained in the syllabus, in lieu of a textbook, students should download Know Your Rights, A Guide to the United States Constitution, published by the U.S. Attorney’s Office–District of Minnesota:
    https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-mn/legacy/2011/09/16/MN%20Civil%20Rights%20FINAL.pdf
    An easy read and excellent primer; please read the entire document.

Learning Outcomes

Course Outcomes
By the end of this course students should have an understanding of the general  rights  that are promised to citizens in the Constitution of the United States, those that are specifically enumerated in legislation adopted by the Congress and signed into law, rights that have been created or defined in the courts and the practical realities of protecting the exercise of those rights.

At the conclusion of this course students will possess a firm understanding of the United States Constitution, the structure and function of the Federal Government in the United States, as well as an appreciation for the relationship among the branches of the Federal Government. Students will also develop significant insights into political, cultural and policy trends throughout U.S. history.

Civic Engagement: Students demonstrate that they possess the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make a difference in the civic life of their community and to promote the enhancement of the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political processes.

Ethical Reasoning: Students describe and analyze positions on ethical issues, apply reasoning about right and wrong human conduct, demonstrate ethical decision-making skills, and demonstrate an evolving ethical self-identity.

Critical Thinking: Students demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

Course Requirements

Course Requirements
Students will be graded on a midterm writing assignment, a final writing assignment, periodic quizzes, and discussions.

Grade Scheme
Course AssessmentsPointsPercent 

Grade Range
GradeRange 
A | 100% to 94.0% 
A- | < 94.0% to 90.0% 
B+ | < 90.0% to 87.0% 
B | < 87.0% to 84.0% 
B- | < 84.0% to 80.0% 
C+ | < 80.0% to 77.0% 
C | < 77.0% to 74.0% 
C- | < 74.0% to 70.0% 
D+ | < 70.0% to 67.0% 
D | < 67.0% to 64.0% 
D- | < 64.0% to 61.0% 
F | < 61.0% to 0.0%

Course Outline

Week 1 Introduction to course requirements  
Week 2 Introduction to Civil Rights and Liberties
 Week 3 Race and Religion   
 Week 4 Civil Rights and Deportation
 Week 5 Civil Rights for Criminal Defendants
 Week 6 Civil Rights and Police Misconduct
Week 7  Civil Rights and Gender
 Week 8 Midterm Writing Assignment
 Week 9 The Right to Privacy
Week 10 Threats to Civil Rights
 Week 11  The Military and Intelligence Communities
 Week 12 Responding to Denial of Civil Rights
Week 13 Other Issues in Civil Rights
Thanksgiving Break November 24-27
 Week 14 Final Writing Assignment

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Submission Policy

Late submissions of assignments will not be accepted without prior agreement.

Except in special circumstances, late submissions will not be accepted.

Attendance Policy

This is an online course and traditional requirements for attendance do not apply. Written responses to assignments must be delivered in a timely manner.

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Students should think of reading and writing assignments as preparation for discussions of the issues with the professor and each other. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor if they have questions about the material or any other part of the course or would like to discuss them with the professor. Email is the preferred method for contacting me; I am in Arizona, not located on campus. For messages to me, I will attempt to respond as soon as possible, no later than one day from their receipt. Feedback and grades will be provided as quickly as possible.
Student Responsibilities
Grading will be based entirely on the discussion questions, midterm and final exam writing assignments. If you do not do the reading and only work to answer the exam questions, you are only shortchanging yourself. Similarly, if you use ChatGPT to write your essays, you will cheat yourself out of the opportunity to practice formal writing skills. Please do not use ChatGPT or similar software to write your essays; those that are clearly identified as having been produced that way will not be accepted. How much you will learn comes from how much work you do, not what grade you get in the course.
Disclaimer
Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

Course Fees

There are no fees required for this course.

Custom

General Course Access
The entire course, including reading assignments, quizzes, and writing assignments is available in the "Modules" section of the course page in Canvas.

Institutional Policies & Resources
Updated required syllabus statement document, some COVID-19-related changes: https://www.suu.edu/academics/provost/pdf/statements-required-in-course-syllabi.pdf
Institutional Policies & Procedures including Academic Integrity, ADA Statement, Emergency Management Statement, HEOA Compliance Statement, Link Statement, SUUSA Statement, Zoom Etiquette.
Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course. For technical support, contact:
435-865-8200 or support@suu.edu (IT Service Desk)
435-865-8555 or canvas@suu.edu (Canvas Help Center)
Financial Security Statement: If you are struggling financially or wish to know more about budgeting, please visit the Financial Wellness Center in room 201C in the Sharwan Smith Center, contact Ashleigh Zimmerman at (435) 865-8436, or text the Financial Wellness line at 435-708-1952.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.