Professional Documents
Culture Documents
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE INFORMATION
Title: POLITICS OF THE PACIFIC RIM
Course Number: PSCI 4396-05A
Call Number: 10651
Term: First Summer Session 2009
Meeting Times: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Meeting Location: School of Management Building (SOM), Room 2.717
CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: Burk, Christopher R.
Email: crb012000@utdallas.edu
Office Telephone: (972) 883-4806
Office Location: McDemott Library (MC), Room 3.228
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:45- 4:45 p.m. and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The evolving security and economic relations of the Asia Pacific region will shape the history of the twenty-first century. No
other region of the world brings together so much promise as well as so much peril. The course deals with post-Cold War
evolution of foreign, security, and economic relations in the fast-developing greater Asia Pacific region and the trends that
will affect its future. It gives special emphasis to American and Australian foreign policies toward the region, to the role of
China, and the Asian financial crisis. The course will also address important region-wide organizations such as the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Japan-U.S.
defense treaty. The course is particularly suited to students contemplating jobs that deal with the Asia Pacific region.
The New Chinese Empire: And What It Means For The United States (Paperback)
by Ross Terrill. Basic Books. Any edition. ISBN-10: 0465084133
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Politics of the Pacific Rim Burk
Course Syllabus Summer 2009
GRADING POLICIES
10% Attendance & Participation
10% Map Assignment – Due June 3
20% First Exam – June 8
20% Second Exam – June 17
40% Third Exam – June 26
Make-up Exams: NO MAKE UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN. Instead, students may elect to replace the grade on the first or
second exam with a research paper. If a student misses more than one exam, the student will receive a zero for the additional
missed exam. All students are expected to take the third exam when it is offered (Friday, June 26). The research paper may
not replace the grade of the third exam. No exceptions will be granted.
Optional Research Paper: A student may elect to replace one grade on the first or second exam is a research paper. The
research paper may not replace the grade of the third exam. The length of the paper should be 12-15 pages. The paper should
be presented in 12 point Times New Roman font, doubled spaced, have margins of 1.00 inch to 1.25 inch, and include page
numbers. The paper must also include proper citations. A student electing to exercise this option must submit a one page
proposal describing the topic and the arguments of the paper to the instructor via email on or before June 19. Any and all
concerns or questions regarding the research paper should be presented to the instructor by June 22. The research paper topic
must be approved by the instructor prior to submission of the paper. If the topic does not gain approval by the instructor, the
paper will not be accepted. The final version of the research paper is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, June 24.
Students should submit both an electronic version (via email) and a printed copy (stapled). THE OPTIONAL TERM PAPER
EXAM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IF SUBMITTED AFTER JUNE 26.
Extra Credit & Late Work: No extra credit is available in this course. A map assignment or research paper submitted late will
be penalized. The grade will be reduced by one full letter grade for each 24 hour period that the assignment is past due
Classroom Behavior: The expectation is that students will attend class and participate actively. Students should behave in a
civil and respectful manner during the class. Disruptive students may be asked to leave and may be subject to disciplinary
action.
Cell Phone Policy: Students are expected to silence or turn off all cell phones during class. A student whose cell phone
disrupts the class may have points deducted from his or her grade for attendance and participation.
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The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established due
process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas
System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook
of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students,
where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to
obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are
subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether
civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic
degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student
demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the
award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic
dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and
will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the
resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
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EMAIL USE
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students
through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in
an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T.
Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student
account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and
the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all
communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for
students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence, preferably in
advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a
reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who
notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who
fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or
assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day]
or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the
institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC
51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.
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DISABILITY SERVICES
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their non-
disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday,
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The contact
information for the Office of Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate
discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape
recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be
substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled
students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to
provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability Services
provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.
NOTE: These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.
May 29 Historical Traits and Trends in the Asia Pacific Today Yahuda, Chapters 1-3
McDougall, Chapter 1
Tow, Chapter 1
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Course Syllabus Summer 2009
NOTE: These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.
June 12 (A) One China? Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Asian Stability McDougall, Chapter 8
Tow, pages 106-123
(B) Beijing: Transformation of Foreign Policy Yahuda, Chapter 10
Terrill, All
June 15 (A) Japan: Role in the Pacific Rim McDougall, Chapters 4-5
Yahuda, Chapter 7
Tow, Chapter 3
(B) Japan: Relations with China McDougall, Chapter 7
Yahuda, Chapter 11
June 26 No Class