Terrorism Capstone Syllabus 2

Capstone Seminar in Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism (PIA 2096)

Dr. Michael Kenney / Class Time: Tues, 12PM-2:55PM
GSPIA / Class Location: 3800 Posvar Hall
University of Pittsburgh
Telephone: (412) 648-7921 / Office Hours: Tues 11AM-12PM & 3-4PM and by appointment
Email: / Office Location: 3935 Posvar Hall

This research-oriented capstone course will provide students the opportunity to apply what they have learned at GSPIA to deepen their understanding of terrorism and counter-terrorism. As a capstone seminar, students will work individually and/or in groups on a specific project that they choose dealing with terrorism and/or counter-terrorism. This is not a lecture-intensive course where your instructor will lecture every week, though the first several weeks will feature lectures on some topics related to terrorism.

The purpose of this capstone seminar is to give you a focused experience in working on a real world policy question: what should we do about terrorism, both in the United States and internationally? You will explore aspects of this larger puzzle that relate directly to your own interests. By the end of the semester you will have a greater understanding of the broad and complex nature of terrorism, much of which will come from learning about your colleagues’ capstone projects, while also developing your own expertise on a specific policy-relevant question of interest to you.

Deciding what to do about terrorism requires that we understand the adversaries we face. To develop a common understanding of terrorism, we will spend the first several weeks of the semester covering the nature of terrorism, the history of terrorism, and varieties of terrorism through a standard lecture-discussion format, hopefully with lots of student discussion. During this period you will read the course “primer,” Bruce Hoffman’s Inside Terrorism, and write a short essay about his book and the nature of terrorism. This is necessary to make sure that we are working from the same basic understanding of this complex, and controversial, subject, an understanding that you will then build upon through your capstone project.

Indeed, this capstone course is built around your research interests. We will spend the semester exploring topics in terrorism and counter-terrorism that interest you and your colleagues, topics that you are willing to investigate further through your own research. By the beginning of February, students will begin to make presentations to the class related to their capstone projects.

This is a discussion heavy course and we will learn from each other throughout the semester as we share our views on many challenging issues. Please be prepared to contribute to our discussions on a regular basis.

Required Course Readings

Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism, revised and expanded edition (Columbia University Press, 2006). / You may purchase Inside Terrorism from the University of Pittsburgh Book Center, which is located at 4000 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, and online retailers, such as Amazon.com.

You are also required to read the print edition of the New York Times, Monday through Friday, throughout the semester. You can obtain free copies of the Times at select locations on campus through the Collegiate Readership Program. Please focus your attention on Times articles dealing with terrorism, insurgency, and counter-terrorism. You are welcome to read additional news sources as well.

When we move into the presentations section of the course we will read articles that you will select for your colleagues. For the week that you or your group are presenting, you will select one or two readings for the class. Please send me electronic copies of your readings on the Tuesday before you present, that is, one week before your presentation. This is to give me enough time to upload your readings to the course website, and your colleagues and I enough time to read the articles and come prepared to discuss your presentation.

Please select readings that are appropriate for a graduate-level seminar, including articles from academic or policy-oriented journals, reports from think tanks or government agencies, and chapters from scholarly books. I would suggest that you avoid assigning news reports unless absolutely necessary and avoid assigning exceptionally long articles (i.e. longer than forty pages). Keep in mind that throughout the semester you will also be reading on your own as you research your capstone project, which is why I am trying to keep each class session’s reading to a manageable level. If you are unsure of which reading(s) to assign, I am more than happy to look over what you have identified and give you feedback, as long as you don’t wait until the last minute.

Student Responsibilities

Please make every effort to complete the assigned readings before each class. The reading load in this class is relatively light for a graduate-level seminar and discussion is important to our course. It is difficult to generate a stimulating exchange of ideas when students have not read the material. Please do so. You are also asked to remain open-minded, objective, and respectful towards all opinions expressed in class and online. By demonstrating courteous and professional behavior, we will create a learning environment that respects diversity while promoting a lively exchange of ideas.

Assignments

Your course grade will be based on your performance in four areas. Each assignment represents the following percentage in your course grade.

Class participation / 10%
Essay on Inside Terrorism / 10%
Capstone in-class presentation / 30%
Final capstone project / 50%

Class participation is important. Participation includes attendance, in-class discussion, and online participation. To help me keep track of student participation I use a simple grading rubric (see the table below). If you wish to receive a satisfactory grade for this course, you will want to attend class and participate in class discussions. While our class discussions may get lively at times, we should always strive to learn from each other and to respect our differences of opinion.

Participation mark / Explanation
0 / Did not attend class
1 / Attended class but did not participate
2 / Attended class and participated
3 / Attended class and superior participation

One of your assignments will be to write a three-to-four page book review for Inside Terrorism by Bruce Hoffman. Your review should not only summarize the book’s contents but also critically evaluate Hoffman’s main arguments. You will want to address the book’s strengths and weaknesses and explain whether and why you agree or disagree with Hoffman’s arguments and conclusions. This assignment is worth 10% of your course grade. I will provide more details on this assignment later in the semester. If you have already read Inside Terrorism and wish to review another book that also provides a broad introduction to terrorism, such as Louise Richardson’s What Terrorists Want, talk with me and we’ll see what we can do.

Completing a capstone project is your main assignment in this course. This comprises two parts: making an in-class presentation based on some aspect of terrorism and counter-terrorism and completing a final capstone project due near the end of the semester. You can fulfill your capstone project working individually or in a small group. You can also choose to do a group presentation and an individual final project. While some students wish to work in groups, not everyone does, so I’m trying to be flexible. The next two paragraphs provide more details on both components of the capstone project.

Working individually or as part of a group, at some point during the semester you will make an in-class presentation on a terrorism/counter-terrorism topic of your choice. This should not be an extended “lecture” but a presentation that combines lecture and discussion with the class. Your class presentation may include Power Point slides, handouts or other materials, or you can just lead us through a discussion of your readings without such aids. The key to a strong presentation will rest on your ability to summarize a few main points from your topic (a common mistake is trying to cover too much ground), present your ideas clearly, and engage your colleagues with stimulating discussion questions. This assignment is worth 30% of your course grade. In grading your presentation, I will examine both the quality of your content and the quality of your delivery, including your ability to sustain your colleagues’ interest and generate discussion. I will provide more details on this assignment as the semester progresses.

The second component of your capstone project is completing a final project based on some aspect of terrorism or counter-terrorism. You will choose your topic, in consultation with me. Your final project can be based on the same topic as your in-class presentation, but it does not have to be. Your final project will be either an individual paper or group report. Beyond these broad parameters, I want to give you the flexibility to pursue your interests. You could write an individual research or policy issue paper or you could write part of a larger group report. While you have a variety of options each student should plan on writing at least fifteen double-spaced pages to successfully complete your capstone project. This assignment is worth 50% of your course grade. I will grade your final project according to a number of criteria, including the quality of your research, the strength of your critical analysis, logical organization, clear writing, and use of correct grammar and spelling. To achieve a satisfactory grade your final project must be well researched, soundly analyzed, and coherently written. Late papers will be penalized. I will provide more details on this assignment later in the semester.

This course is designed to be flexible. The class presentation schedule (provided in the “Calendar” tool in the CourseWeb site) will change depending on how we progress and other factors such as inclement weather. I strongly encourage you to visit the calendar at least once a week to see if there are any changes in upcoming classes and reading assignments.

Web Site

This capstone seminar uses CourseWeb, the University of Pittsburgh’s online course management system, to share information and enhance communication. Our use of CourseWeb will focus on email, discussion forums, course content, and the calendar, where you will find the class schedule.

To access our web site, direct your browser to http://courseweb.pitt.edu/ and login using your PITT username and password. Navigate to the My Courses module and click on the link for 2144_UPITT_PIA_2096_SEC1055: 2144_PIA_2096_SEC1055_CAPSTONE SEMINAR. Do not use Internet Explorer 9 to access the web site. Most other browser programs should work fine.

Course Policies

The University of Pittsburgh holds students and faculty to high standards of honesty and integrity. Violations of the University’s academic integrity standards will not be tolerated. These violations include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabricating information or citations, facilitating academic dishonesty by others, and plagiarism.

Plagiarism is defined as “stealing and using the ideas or writings of another person as one’s own” (MPIA FAQ sheet). Plagiarism occurs when someone presents words or ideas from another source without properly acknowledging the source, whether it is a book, academic journal article, or web page. You are expected to adhere to the University’s academic integrity policies, which you can find in Appendix A of GSPIA’s Handbook of Academic Policies and Procedures for Master’s Degree Programs.

When writing your papers cite any information source you are using to make a point, even if you are not using direct quotes from the source. Keep in mind that copying and pasting materials from the web is a form of plagiarism. If you have any questions or concerns about plagiarism or academic integrity, please speak with me. Committing plagiarism, however unintentionally, could result in a failing grade for this course.

If you have a disability for which you are requesting an accommodation in this course, please tell me and contact Disability Resources and Services (140 William Pitt Union, 412-648-7890, www.drs.pitt.edu) as early as possible in the term. Disability Resources and Services reviews documentation related to a student's disability, provides verification of the disability, and recommends reasonable accommodations for specific courses.

Due to my own disability—I have a profound bilateral hearing loss—I ask you to look at me and avoid mumbling and covering your mouth when talking during class. Thanks for your cooperation.

Come to class prepared. This means completing all of the reading assignments beforehand and being ready to engage the material by participating in class discussions. Remember class participation is worth 10% of your course grade; I grade for quality, not just quantity.

The ability to write clearly and effectively is essential to this course—and your education as graduate students. If you wish to receive help with your writing consider using the resources of the Writing Center: http://www.composition.pitt.edu/writingcenter/index.html The Writing Center is staffed by experienced writers that are available for one-on-one consultations. These consultants cannot read or proofread your paper for you, but they will work with you and help you proofread your own paper.

You are allowed to use laptop computers and other electronic devices in class for note taking purposes only. Please avoid the temptation to surf the web and check your messages during class. If you abuse this privilege, I will ask you to turn off your device. Also, please avoid using your cell phones during class. Each class will include a ten minute break, allowing you to check your messages and make calls as necessary.