Fall 2024
Understanding and Combating Terrorism
Approved: TS 8/22/24 Understanding and Combating Terrorism (HMSY 1342) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: NONE COURSE DESCRIPTION Theories of terrorism as well as why America is a terrorist target, methods of terrorism domestic and international, Islam and Radical Islam, terrorist operations, cyber-terrorism, narco-terrorism, the mind of the terrorist, and organized crime and terrorism will be researched in order to understand and combat terrorism. This course is time-bound, structured, and completed totally online. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to 1. Identify terrorist groups and organizations. 2. Examine terrorism's political, economic, and environmental impact on public administration and the private sector. 3. Identify the legal changes required to combat terrorism. 4. Present the results of terrorism research. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Trazarra Stelly Email: tnstelly@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-247-5224 Office Location: Technology Center (TC) #212 Office Hours: Face to Face or Telephone Appointments available by appointment only. Must schedule in Starfish. Monday – Friday (Flexible Times). REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Understanding Terrorism, Gus Martin, 7th Edition, ISBN 978-1-5443-7586-1 ATTENDANCE POLICY Students are expected to log into the course via Blackboard at least 3 times per week. Regular participation is necessary to pass this course. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) Submission Deadline is before 10:00 PM 8/26 - 8/31 Introduction Week 8/31: Syllabus Review 8/31: • Intro Assignment • Syllabus Quiz 9/1 - 9/7 PART I: Terrorism: A Conceptual Review 9/7: Chapter 1-Terrorism: First Impression 9/7: • Chapter 1 Assignment 9/8 - 9/14 9/14: Chapter 2- The Nature of the Beast: Defining Terrorism 9/14: • Chapter 2 Assignment 9/15 - 9/21 9/21: Chapter 3- Beginnings: The Causes of Terrorism 9/21: • Chapter 3 Assignment • Part I Quiz 9/22 - 9/28 Part II: Terrorist Environments and Typologies 9/28: Chapter 4- Terror from Above: Terrorism by the State Chapter 5- Terror from Below: Terrorism by Dissidents 9/28: • Chapter 4 & 5 Assignment 9/29 – 10/5 10/5: Chapter 6- Violence in the Name of the Faith: Religious Terrorism 10/5: • Chapter 6 Assignment 10/6 – 10/12 10/12: Chapter 7- Violent Ideologies: Terrorism from the Left and Right 10/12: • Chapter 7 Assignment 10/13 – 10/19 10/19: Chapter 8- Terrorist Spillovers: International Terrorism 10/19: • Chapter 8 Assignment 10/20 – 10/26 10/26: Chapter 9- Emerging Terrorist Environments: Gender- Selective Political Violence and Criminal Dissident Terrorism 10/26: • Chapter 9 Assignment • Part II Quiz 10/27 – 11/2 Part III: The Terrorist Trade and Counterterrorism 11/2: Chapter 10- Tools of the Trade: Tactics and Targets of Terrorists 11/2: • Chapter 10 Assignment • Final Project Outline/Rough Draft 11/3 – 11/9 11/9: Chapter 11- The Information Battleground: Terrorist Violence and the Role of the Media 11/9: • Chapter 11 Assignment 11/10 – 11/16 11/16: Chapter 12- The American Case; Terrorism in the United States 11/16: • Chapter 12 Assignment 11/17 - 11/23 11/23: Chapter 13- Counterterrorism: The Options 11/23: • Chapter 13 Assignment • Part III Quiz 11/24 – 11/30 Thanksgiving (Nov. 28-29) Part IV: Securing the Homeland 11/30: Chapter 14- A new Era: Homeland Security 11/30: • Work on Final Project 12/1 - 12/7 12/7: Chapter 15- What Next? The Future of Terrorism 12/7: • Part IV Quiz • Work on Final Project 12/8 – 12/12 FINAL PROJECTS DUE FINAL PROJECTS DUE 12/9: Final Project Due before 10:00 P.M. COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Assignments 40% • Quiz 35% • Final Project 25% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION I DO NOT accept late work. All assignments are due as scheduled. There are a few exceptions but those will be discussed on a case by case basis. (ex. Medical situation such as hospitalization) Preferred means of communication: Email: tnstelly@lit.edu or phone: (409) 247-5224 Communication Response Time: Expected response time for communications with instructor is 24- 48 hours (except weekends). Grading Response Time: Assignments should be returned with grades within 2 weeks.