Course Overview

Module 1 – Welcome and Orientation
In this module, you will:
– Meet your professor
– Navigate this course and understand how it is organized
– Introduce yourself to other students, and to your professor
– Be introduced to the course syllabus

Greetings and Welcome to POL 100 Online on the OpenLab! 

Here are some brief instructions for navigating the course on the OpenLab, and for a successful semester.

  • This is an online course, meaning instruction is fully online.
  • The most important rule overall is to make this course a daily habit. This means check your BMCC email every day, visit this site and check announcements a couple of times a week, and read your course module at the beginning of the week to ensure that you are caught up and on top of all assignments. You will not necessarily have to do a task or assignment for the course every day, but you must check email, this OpenLab site, and course schedule as part of your regular routine. You may want to enter due dates into a calendar and set reminders.  Late work is not accepted.  This is a big rule in my course. Late work is not accepted.
  • The course is set up for ease of navigation and understanding where you should be and what you should be doing at all times. Assignments and activities are in folders, one for each week of the semester, with a corresponding module button along the top of the main course page. 
  • The second most important rule is this: ask questions if you do not understand the course navigation, or an assignment, or you cannot find something! Click Getting in Touch With Me for email addresses, phone numbers, etc.  I usually respond within 24 hrs except on Weekends. 
  • Due Dates:
    • All assignments such as Response Papers and Discussion Board Response Posts are due at the end of each week by Sunday at midnight 11:59pm, unless otherwise noted.

Syllabus

Here is our Syllabus.

Make sure you read the entire syllabus and have a clear idea of expectations. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Navigating This Course

This section walks you through how to navigate–or get around–this course. You have already watched this video, but here it is again. You should refer to it whenever you have basic questions about where to find assignments, grades, discussions, etc.:

Assignments and Discussion Board Comments

  • Assignments such as response papers and discussion board comments will always be due no later than Sunday at 11:59pm for each week, unless otherwise noted.

    Our first assignment is right below this sentence!

WATCH – Module 1 Intro Video

Watch this brief video which outlines what needs to be done in this first module:

COMPLETE – Discussion Board 1: Introduce Yourself (Required)

CLICK – Discussion Board 1:Introduction
Let’s introduce ourselves to each other!

1. Make an entry introducing yourself to the class. Tell us a bit about yourself, your interests, what you hope to do after BMCC, ideas that motivate you, etc.
2. Respond to at least one classmate by elaborating on something that they wrote that resonated and connected with you.

WATCH – Approaches for Successfully Completing This Online Class

Click on the link above to review time management, study skills, and strategies guaranteed to help you succeed in this course and others.

EST Time: 20 minutes

Again, here’s my contact Info

Prof. Arto Artinian, Ph.D.
Email: aartinian@bmcc.cuny.edu
Work Phone 212-220-8000, ext. 5253
Office Location N651L
Virtual Office Hours:
I will be holding virtual hours every Tuesday, from 12-2pm. What are virtual office hours? Instead of coming to my office, you will enter a video chat via Zoom. More details are available here.

My Bio:

I have been teaching at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) since September of 2013. During my time at BMCC I have taught courses in political philosophy (POL 110 and POL 260), as well as American Government (POL 100). Prior to BMCC, I taught at most CUNY colleges as an adjunct lecturer. Before that, I was a New York City public high school teacher, teaching social studies at Harry Truman High School in the Bronx (2001-2007). I did both my undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester (in music and political theory), and my masters in computer/electronic music at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. My PhD is in political philosophy, from the CUNY Graduate Center.