City University of New York (C.U.N.Y.)
Department of Social Services & Human Services
Fall, 2012
HUM 212, Sec. 981: Introduction to Disabilities. Online Course.
(3) Three hours, (3) Three credits
Professor: Dr. Rose Russo Gleicher, DSW, LMSW
Doctor of Social Welfare, Licensed Master Social Worker
E-mail: (Please write "HUM 212" in the subject line.)
(E-mail is checked at 5am, Sunday-Friday. Also at 1pm, Monday-Friday)
Cell # (917) 750-0574
Office hours/location: By appointment.
*Please print out one copy of this Course Syllabus and put it into the cover of your textbook for this course or tape it on your home refrigerator. It contains lots of important information to use if and when computers aren't working.
COURSE OUTLINE/SYLLABUS
Course Description: This course focuses on the psychological and sociological aspects of disabling conditions and approaches impacting individuals with disabilities. The course will expand the student’s awareness and understanding of disabilities from both a historical and contemporary approach.
Course Student Learning Objectives and Means of Assessment:
Course Student Learning Outcomes / Measurements (means of assessment for student learning outcomes)1. Students will learn about the history of people with disabilities, societal attitudes, laws and policies, appropriate language, and how this impacts individuals who have disabilities in contemporary society. /
Written assignment:
Interview of an individual with a disabilityCase studies.
Discussion Board.
2. Students will understand the major classifications of disabilities (mobility, deafness and hard of hearing, visually impaired and blind, developmental, mental health, cognitive, and health-related), types of individual physical and psychological conditions, and disability-specific organizations. /
Written assignment.
Case studies.Homework.
Discussion Board.
Using the Internet
Interview of an individual with a disability.
3 Students will understand the variety of human service worker roles and learn to focus on client strengths as they develop needs assessments when working with people with disabilities. / Written Assignment: Need Assessment.
Case studies.
Homework.
Discussion Board.
General Education Learning Objectives
Below are the college’s general education learning outcomes. The outcomes checked in the left-hand column indicate goals that will be covered and assessed in the course.
General Education Learning Outcomes / Measurements (means of assessment for general education goals listed in first column)X / Communication Skills- Students will be able to write, read, listen and speak critically and effectively. / Written assignments
Discussion Board
Case studies
/ Quantitative Reasoning- Students will be able to use quantitative skills and the concepts and methods of mathematics to solve problems.
/ Scientific Reasoning- Students will be able to apply the concepts and methods of the natural sciences.
X / Social and Behavioral Sciences- Students will be able to apply the concepts and methods of the social sciences. / Written assignments
Case studies/case examples/worksheets
/ Arts & Humanities- Students will be able to develop knowledge and understanding of the arts and literature through critiques of works of art, music, theatre or literature.
X / Information & Technology Literacy- Students will be able to collect, evaluate and interpret information and effectively use information technologies. / Blackboard
Discussion Board
Using the Internet
X / Values- Students will be able to make informed choices based on an understanding of personal values, human diversity, multicultural awareness and social responsibility. / Case studies.
Written assignments
Required Textbooks and materials:
- Textbook: Mackelprang R.W. & Salsgiver, R.O. (2009). Disability: A Diversity Model Approach in Human Service Practice. (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books.ISBN # 978-1-933478-59-3(softcover)
- High Speed Internet Access.
- BMCC E-mail. Please set it up and check your e-mail daily.
- Microsoft Word for doing assignments.
- You need to download FREE software from the Internet to be able to open videos & articles: Adobe Reader, Adobe Flashplayer, Quicktime Player, RealPlayer, and sign up for free e-mail from NY Times (you can read up to 20 free articles a month).
6. Folders (plastic or paper) for printouts and to organize materials not in the textbook.
7. Sign up for e-mails from disability related organizations to become aware of events.
Course Policies:
Grades: The final course grade will be based on all of the following:
Item / Point Calculation / Percent of final gradeAttendance/
Class Participation / Discussion Board (DB) (1-2 points per week as specified in each DB= 30 points) / 30%
Homework / 10 assignments, 1-2 points each=10-20 pts / 10-20% TBA
3 written Assignments / 3 assignments, 15-20 pts each=45-60 pts
1. An interview: (15-20 pt)
2. Using the Internet: (15-20 pt)
3. Case Study/Assessment: (15-20 pt) / 45-60% TBA
TOTAL / 100 points / 100%
Grading for Discussion Board and Homework
Criteria / One point / Zero pointsDiscussion Board / -on time
-on topic
-3 to 4 sentences long
-respectful to classmates
-original answer
-free of spelling or grammatical errors / -late or missing
-off topic or an incorrect response
-breaks Discussion Board rules ex. insults a classmate, uses curse words, etc.
-wrote too little (ex. yes/no)
-wrote too much (more than 4 sentences)
-copies another student's answer
-did not check spelling or grammar.
Homework / -on time
-on topic
-A paragraph of 3-6 full sentences.
-original answer
-free of spelling or grammatical errors / -late or missing
-off topic or an incorrect response
-incomplete response or too short
(ex. wrote yes/no without an explanation)
-repeats answer from a prior week, copies another classmate, or cites an agency that was discussed in the Lecture notes
-did not check spelling or grammar
Assignments/Written Assignments/Papers (three)
Please see description for each of the three assignments in the Assignment Section of Blackboard. If you have difficulty with writing, such as understanding assignments, generating ideas, developing and organizing essays, identifying and documenting sources, or grammar issues, please visit the BMCC Writing Center located in Room S-500, (212) 220-1384 or
All papers must be submitted in Microsoft Word, double-spaced, spell-checked, and use a 12 point font in Times New Roman style. The file needs to be in a .doc format, not a .docx If using a newer version of Microsoft Word, please save file as a "1997-2003" document before you send it to me. Students should keep a copy of every assignment that is submitted until the semester's end. Assignments need to be submitted via Blackboard instructions and not directly to my e-mail address. In the event of any unexpected computer problems with Blackboard, it is strongly recommended that you plan ahead and keep copies of ALL assignments that you submit until you receive your final course grade at the end of the semester.
5 points will be deducted each week that the paper is late. Computer problems at home are not an excuse for late assignments. Please don’t wait until the last minute to send an assignment and please have a back-up plan. BMCC has two student computer labs for typing papers. You will need to bring your BMCC ID card in order to use the labs. The current semester hours of the labs can be obtained from the Office of Instructional Technology: or (212) 220-8122. At BMCC’s main campus,199 Chambers St., Room N-212 has opened 8am in the past. At the 70 Murray St. campus, Room M-1109 has usually opened at 9am. There are computers with Internet access in the BMCC library. Every public library in your neighborhood has free Internet access. You can use these websites to locate the library closest to where you live: (Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island)
Attendance
At BMCC, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour than the number of hours that the class meets in one week. For example, you may be enrolled in a four-credit class that meets four times a week totaling four hours. You are allowed five hours of absence (not five days). In the case of excessive absences, the instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an "F" of "WU" grade. If you do not attend class at lease once in the first three weeks of the course and once in the fourth or fifth weeks, the Office of the Registrar is required to assign you a grade of WE. Attendance in both regular and remedial courses is mandated by policy of the City University of New York. Instructors are required by New York State law to keep an official record of class attendance.
You are expected to prepare for this online class by doing the assigned reading in the textbook, reading the Lecture Notes, doing Homework or Written Assignment, and doing Discussion Board each week. Discussion Board has two components: answering a question and responding to another student. If you don't answer a Discussion Board question, you will be marked absent for that week. Class participation (Discussion Board) counts as 30% of your final grade. In this online course, more than four absences will result in course failure. If I am concerned your attendance, writing skills, missing or late papers, or if I can't get in touch with you by phone or e-mail, I will contact anE-learning Advisor in the E-learning Center (199 Chambers St., Room S-501A. (212) 220-8066 E-mail: or
Behavior/Ethics/Rules for this online course and using Discussion Board:
There are a lot of rules for an online class: DO NOT use any profanities, cursing, four-letter words, etc. Please be respectful of your classmates in the same way that would be expected of you in a regular classroom environment. This Discussion Board is confidential between the professor and all your classmates, unless you write something dangerous about yourself or others. Do NOT give your password or log-in information to anyone. Do NOT forward e-mails or copy information from Discussion Board to anyone. Do NOT allow anyone from outside the course to look at your computer screen and view anything on Blackboard in regard to this course
Discussion Board is in place of participation that usually takes place in the classroom; it is away for you to communicate with the other students in the class. To start things off, there will be weekly questions for you to respond to on Discussion Board. You are expected to respond to the question and to your classmates. If you want to contact a classmate about something that is completely unrelated to our classwork, please contact him/her privately by e-mail.
Please give careful consideration and thought before you disclose personally identifying information on Discussion Board, as it is available to the entire class. For example, if you have a disability and have an experience that relates to our class topic, it is your decision whether or not to share it. Feel free to contact me privately by phone or e-mail to discuss this further. When students share personal information on Discussion Board, I must request that you keep it confidential; please don't share anything that you read on Discussion Board with anyone who is not enrolled in this course section this semester through verbal or electronic communication. Your participation in this course and Discussion Board assumes that you have read these rules and will follow them.
Information about Blackboard and the BMCC E-Learning Center
The BMCC E-learning Center is located in Room S-501a (212) 220-1243 and they provide “Blackboard orientation” to students enrolled in E-learning for the first time. Our course relies heavily on being able to use Blackboard. If you have technological questions regarding Blackboard or any of its components, please contact: E-Support: (212) 220-8126 or e-mail: The E-learning center website is: Please be ready to provide them with the type of computer you are using, speed and type of modem, name of Internet service provider, browser, and your e-mail address. E-Support staff can assist you with Blackboard, re-setting CUNY Portal passwords, changing the e-mail address tied to Blackboard, etc. For other problems with BMCC e-mail, contact the BMCC HelpDesk in Room # S-170 (basement) (212) 220-8002.
Statement of Academic Honesty Policy/BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement: The Borough of Manhattan Community College is committed to academic honesty. Alleged plagiarism (copying direct quotations or summarizing, without giving credit to the author of the source, copying material from the Internet, using or sharing papers with classmates, using papers from your prior courses or a classmate’s prior courses), and similar forms of academic dishonesty will be reported to the HUM coordinator and/or the Academic Committee. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility. If you are unclear about how to credit a source, such as the author of a book or article, please see me or visit the BMCC Writing Center in Room S-500, (212) 220-1384.
You are hereby notified that by using Blackboard, your instructor has access to all submissions in SafeAssign, including drafts, and may at his/her discretion submit drafts and papers for plagiarism testing through SafeAssign. Please refer to CUNY's Policy on Academic Integrity. SafeAssign checks your work against both an institutional and a global database. "Institutional database" refers to submissions to a CUNY-wide database only. "Global database" refers to submissions by a global community of SafeAssign users. Submitted papers (not drafts) will automatically become part of the institutional database. Submission to the global database is global and irrevocable, but it may provide greater protection for your work from infringement by others.
Statement for Special Needs Students/Academic Adjustment for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Accessibility (formerly: Office for Students with Disabilities) at BMCC, Room N-320, 212-220-8180 (Marcos Gonzales, Director; Nicole Leach, Ass't Director). In addition, please feel free to discuss this with me. You need to be registered with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities to receive accommodations. If you have a disability, you should ask Mr. Gonzales/Ms. Leach to e-mail me as soon as possible; I do not check the mailbox in the Social Science Dept. at the college that regularly. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.
Prof. Gleicher's grading summary for the Major Written Assignments (1,2,3)
in HUM 212 (20 points maximum each):
**Please compare your paper to this guide and edit your paper before you submit it.**
Student:______Date: ______Paper # ______Grade:______
18-20 points / 16-17 points / 12-15 points / 11 or lessWas the paper received on time on the due date? Received: ______
NOTE: Five (5) points are taken off paper grade for each week it is late. / On time. / A few days late / A week late. Minus 5 points for papers a week late. / More than a week late
Is the paper an original (not copied from a textbook, website, student)? / Yes. An original. / Strong chance. / Very likely. / Hints of plagiarism
specify:
Is the paper double-spaced? / Yes. / Some of it is double spaced. / Mix of single, double, triple / single spaced.
Are paragraphs indented 5 spaces? / All the time / Most of the time / Sometimes. / Never.
Is it the required number of pages? / Yes. / A bit short. / One page short. / 2 pages short.
Is the paper free of typing/ spelling/grammar errors? / 0-3 errors / 4-6 errors / 6-10 errors / More than 10 errors
Are there numbered pages? / Yes. / Most pages. / Some pages / None.
Is there an introduction consisting of at least (3) three sentences? / Yes. / I see 2 sentences. / I see one sentence. / It is missing.
Does the introduction describe what the paper will be about? / Yes. / Pretty close. / A bit off the topic. / Completely off the topic.
Is the discussion relevant to the question(s) in the assignment? / Yes. / Mostly. / Some of it. / Completely off the topic.
Are all questions answered? / Yes. / Most. / Some skipped. / Most skipped.
Are there complete responses to the questions? / Yes. / A few responses are incomplete. / Many responses are incomplete. / Most not responded to.
Does the writer use specific examples and details to backup general statements?* very important / Yes. Always. / Frequently. / Sometimes. / Never.
Brief references made to textbook and/or articles / Yes / Most of the time. / Some of the time. / Not at all.
Are the main ideas separated into paragraphs? / Yes. / Most of the time. / Some of the time. / Not enough paragraphs.
Do paragraphs flow in a logical order? / Yes. / Most of the time. / Sometimes. / Out of order.
Is there a conclusion consisting of at least three sentences? / Yes. / I see two sentences. / I see one sentence. / It is missing or too short
Does the conclusion summarize what was discussed in the paper? / Yes. / Pretty close. / A bit off the topic or not that complete. / Completely off the topic. It added new material.