Course Syllabus
INR 3403: International Law
Dr. Lukas K. Danner
Best Way to Contact Me: Canvas Inbox
Office Hours: By Appointment
Website: http://danner.is
Course Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time (EST). Course due dates are according to this time zone.
Course Description and Purpose
This course is an introduction to the history, development, concepts and processes, theory and practice as well as current issues of international law. The various parts of the course will equip students with the knowledge regarding the (1) Historical development and sources of international law; (2) Themes, subjects and concepts in international law; (3) Sovereignty and jurisdiction, as well as options for states in cases of violation of international law and to negotiation and resolve conflicts; and (4) Human rights, humanitarian international law, international criminal law, as well as current issues in international law. The course will include pre-recorded lectures, discussion arenas, reading and concept challenges (quiz, midterm, final), bi-weekly news video briefings, as well as a co-curricular activity writing challenge.
This class counts toward FIU’s National Security Studies Certificate, the Human Rights and Political Transitions Certificate, and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Certificate.
Course Objectives
The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with the analytical tools to understand international law. In this course students will:
- Gain a good understanding of the main concepts of international law;
- Become familiar with the workings and actors of the international legal system, the processes of the international legal order, and learn about the limits of international law;
- Become equipped with theoretical knowledge necessary to explain the evolution of international law;
- Learn to identify international legal problems, applicable rules and norms, and how and when to apply them;
- Improve their research and writing ability when formulating complex arguments.
Important Information
Before starting this course, please review the following pages:
- Policies
- Netiquette
- Technical Requirements and Skills
- Accessibility and Accommodation
- Panthers Care & Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
- Academic Misconduct Statement
Additional Course Policies
- All times and deadlines are given in United States Eastern Time (ET). Also, please note the Daylight Savings Time change on November 1, 2020.
- No incompletes are given.
- No make-up opportunities are given.
- For discussion arenas and co-curricular activity report: Late submissions will result in point penalties according to this rule: one day late = -10 %, two days late = -20 %, three days late = -30 %, etc.
- For online reading & concept challenges in Respondus LockDown Browser: reading & concept challenges will be open for one week. Once the reading & concept challenge closes at the deadline, it will not be re-opened for you and it will irrevocably count as a zero, if you did not take it before the deadline.
- Copying from the textbook or cutting and pasting sections from websites or other reference materials or presenting someone else’s ideas as your own is plagiarism and will not be tolerated and will result in zero (0) points for that assignment. Please review the FIU Plagiarism Prevention Guide, as well as the FIU Citation Guide. In addition, all work submitted must be original for this class.
- This class will utilize the Turnitin originality software—integrated with the LMS.
- Papers that are not properly cited will be issued a zero.
- If the instructor is unable to open an attachment, it must be resubmitted within 48 hours or the assignment will be issued a zero.
- Always check the uploaded attachment is correct. After the deadline passes, the content submitted will be used for grading.
- Medical emergencies can generally not count as excuses for not submitting assignments, taking tests or posting essays/replies. This is because the assessments (whether they be discussion arena posts, online reading & concept challenges, or written assignments) are open for several days, sometimes weeks each and therefore you will have much leeway in deciding when to take an reading & concept challenge, or submit an assignment. The only exception would be a truly grave medical emergency/accident in which you are hospitalized for several days or weeks. In such case, obtain written documentation and send a scan to instructor.
- Textbooks and the purchase thereof are the student’s responsibility. Some article readings will be offered as download online. Any readings from the assigned textbooks will not be made available for download.
- There is no extra-credit in this class.
- The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus should the need arise.
Zoom Video Conference
This class will use Zoom for pre-recorded lectures.
Course Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Proctored Exam Policy
This course does not require proctored exams.
Textbook and Course Materials
Expectations of this Course
This is an online course, meaning that most of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some students.
Students are expected to:
- Review the Getting Started information located in the Modules
- Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self-introduction in the appropriate discussion forum
- Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Canvas
- Interact online with instructor and peers
- Review and follow the course calendar
- Log in to the course several times per week
- Respond to discussion arenas by the corresponding deadline
- Respond to emails within three days
- Submit assignments by the corresponding deadline
The instructor will:
- Log in to the course several times per week
- Respond to discussion arenas within four days
- Respond to emails within two business days
- Grade assignments within four days of the assignment deadline
Course Communication
Communication in this course will take place via the Canvas Conversations Inbox. I will respond to emails within 1 business day.
Discussion Arenas
Keep in mind that your discussion arena postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.
The first part of this assignment is posting your own response to each quest and corresponding reading on Canvas’s “Discussion Arena.” Questions that you may respond to after reading are going to be provided in the heading of the discussion arena. The discussion arena that corresponds to each quest will be opened shortly after the quest becomes available. Your response should be between 300 and 350 words long, be structured like an essay, and ideally show reference to the studied quest and readings. At the end of your essay, please provide a question for further discussion that your classmates may reply to in the second part of this assignment. This first part of the assignment is graded with a rubric.
The second part of this assignment is reading and replying to the discussion posts of two of your peers. So after you have posted your own, original response in the first part of the assignment (reading others’ discussion posts is disabled until you post your own), you need to reply to, at least, two (2) discussion posts of your classmates: This will contribute to the discussion character of this task. This second part of the assignment is graded and included in the rubric.
This assignment corresponds to our quests in the course content and the assigned reading to it. We may use Turnitin to check the originality of your posted essay. If you borrow material, identify the sources via proper citation. Your essay post must answer the question(s) provided to guide you in this assignment. Your posts will be graded in the order that they are submitted. Opinions and examples are valuable to your posts but you need to show that you have read the assigned reading and class quest.
Items to consider when writing your discussion:
- Relevance to assigned material: the posted ideas indicate that the student has read the assigned material.
- Clarity and coherence.
- Critical thinking: there is evidence that the student has adequately analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated the assigned material.
- Your discussion includes a question for further discussion on the topic. The posting articulates a question for discussion that pertains to the assigned material.
- Spelling, grammar: the posting must meet university-level standards of spelling and grammar.
- Length: the initial posting for each discussion post essay must be between 300 and 350 words.
- Guidelines: First submit your essay (ca. 300 words), then separately submit your discussion question, and then proceed to look at your peers' posts and reply to at least two different peers’ questions/react to their essay.
- Please note: You will not be able to see what your peers have posted prior to submitting your initial post (essay). This is to ensure originality and no copy-paste/filibustering mentality. Should your first post be an empty post (to circumvent this initial blocking view of others’ posts), it will count as zero (0) points.
- Late submission is subject to the deduction policy specified above under “Policies.”
Rubric:
|
Discussion Rubric |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Points Possible |
6 points |
4.5 points |
3 points |
0 points |
|
Essay in Response to Main Discussion Question(s)
|
Post thoroughly and effectively answers the question(s). Demonstrates mastery of the topic. Response is within the word count limits, i.e., not below 300 words and not above 350 words. |
A solid effort, responding appropriately to the question(s). Demonstrates an understanding of the topic. Response is within 50 words of the word count limits (between 250 and 300 words or between 350 and 400 words). |
Post demonstrates a weak understanding of the topic, or question is not fully answered. Response is significantly short or in excess of word count limits (between 200-250 words or more than 400 words). |
Post does not demonstrate an understanding of the topic, is off-topic, or no response to the question(s) has been made, or essay is not the first post made to the discussion arena. |
|
Points Possible |
1 points |
0.75 points |
0.5 points |
0 points |
|
Discussion Question |
Posts insightful discussion question that shows understanding of the topic and is designed to incite discussion. At least 20 words. |
Posts acceptable discussion question that shows a sufficient understanding of the topic. Between 15 and 20 words. |
Posts a satisfactory discussion question. Less than 15 words. |
Posts a discussion question that is not related to the topic at hand or no post of a discussion question has been made. |
|
Points Possible |
1 points |
0.75 points |
0.5 points |
0 points |
|
Response to Classmate |
Response builds on classmate's post, offers new ideas or follow-up question(s). Post is at least 50 words. |
Response does a sufficient job of contributing to the discussion, but doesn't do much to move discussion forward. No follow-up question offered. Response is at least 40 words. |
Weak response to classmate, such as “I agree” or “Good post.” Response does not add anything significant to the discussion. Response is less than 25 words. |
Post does not respond to the original posters ideas, or no response to a classmate has been made. |
|
Point Possible |
2 points |
1.5 points |
1 point |
0 points |
|
Mechanics |
Free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Few (1-3) errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Some errors (4-7) in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Many (7+) errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, or no response has been made. |
|
Total Points possible per question |
10 points |
7.5 points |
5 points |
0 points |
|
***Lateness policy: As per lateness policy specified in the syllabus, a post that is one day late incurs -1 point deduction; two days late -2 points deduction; three days late -3 points deduction; etc. pp.; up to nine days late -9 points deduction—in addition to any point deductions necessary through regular grading. (posts 10 days late would incur the full 10 points deduction and, thus, would count as ‘zero.’) |
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Bi-weekly News Video Journal
Keep in mind that your bi-weekly news video journal entries will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.
Each news video journal submission will count for 2 points of your overall class grade for a total of 14 points of your overall class grade. There are seven instances in which you may submit.Items to consider when writing/recording your discussion:
- Current news: Choose a piece of news which is not older than one (1) week from the date that it is due. After all, the fact that “news” is “new” is what makes it news.
- Reputable source: Choose a news source which is reputable. That could be anything from The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC News, CNN, Independent, The Guardian, The Telegraph/, The Economist or the like. Any English-language source is acceptable—as long as it is reputable and a web link exists for it.
- Critical thinking: there is evidence that the student has adequately analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated the news article.
- Video Content: (1) summarize in your own words the news article’s content (do not read it word-by-word), (2) explain the relevance to this class or general importance of this news to international law, and (3) give your own opinion about this news.
- Length: your video needs to be a minimum two (2) to a maximum of three (3) minutes long.
- Guidelines: First submit your news article’s web link, then separately submit your recorded video using Canvas's built-in media recorder.
- Late submission is subject to the deduction policy specified above under “Policies.”
Rubric:
|
Bi-Weekly News Video Journal Rubric |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Points Possible |
1 point |
0.8 points |
0.5 points |
0 points |
|
Bi-Weekly News Video Journal Entry
|
Excellent video entry. Demonstrates mastery of the topic. Masterful analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the news article. Contains three well-done sections, i.e., summary of news article, relevance to class, and own opinion. Video entry is between 2 and 3 minutes. |
A solid effort. Demonstrates an understanding of the topic. Sufficient analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the news article. Contains three good sections, i.e., summary of news article, relevance to class, and own opinion, however one or two may be lacking in quality. Video entry is up to 30 seconds below or above minute limits (1.5 to 2 minutes or 3 to 3.5 minutes). |
Video entry demonstrates a weak understanding of the topic, or post is incomplete with respect to required sections and quality thereof. Lacking or sloppy analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the news article. Response is significantly short or in excess of time limits (1 to 1.5 minutes or 3.5 to 4 minutes). |
Post does not demonstrate an understanding of the topic, is off-topic, or no video entry made at all, or essay is not the first post made to the discussion arena. |
|
Points Possible |
0.5 points |
0.4 points |
0.25 points |
0 points |
|
Selection & Presentation Style |
News article presented on is well selected and not older than one week from due date. Topic presented on has not been selected by the student prior to the post, i.e., it is not a repeat topic. Mastery of presentation skills. Professional language. |
News article is an acceptable selection. Topic may have been presented on by the student but represents a significant update to the topic. Good presentation skills. Acceptable use of language. |
News article selection mediocre, i.e., may not be fully related to international law. Topic is a repeat topic and has been presented on by the student before without representing a significant update. Less than good presentation skills. Colloquial use of language. |
Student does not select and present a news article, or news article is older than one week from the due date. |
|
Points Possible |
0.5 points |
N/A |
N/A |
0 points |
|
Mechanics: Weblink |
Student posts weblink of the news article they are presenting on. |
N/A |
N/A |
Student omits weblink post of news article they are presenting on.classmate has been made. |
|
Total Points possible per question |
2 points |
1.2 points |
0.75 points |
0 points |
|
***Lateness policy: As per lateness policy specified in the syllabus, a post that is one day late incurs -0.2 points deduction; two days late -0.4 points deduction; three days late -0.6 points deduction; etc. pp.; up to nine days late -1.8 points deduction—in addition to any point deductions necessary through regular grading. (posts 10 days late would incur the full 2 points deduction and, thus, would count as ‘zero.’) |
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Assessments
There will be three online Reading & Concept Challenges (with Respondus Lockdown Browser).
Assessment Expectations:
- Complete the three online reading & concept challenges (Quiz, Midterm & Final) within this course
- Relevant material for reading & concept challenges are PowerPoints, Lectures, and—first and foremost—assigned required readings. Readings which are merely recommended are not directly relevant as reading & concept challenge material—unless they have been mentioned, summarized or introduced via lectures or quests, for example (nevertheless, you do not have to read them but just know what was mentioned about them, if they came up in lectures/quests).
- The reading & concept challenges are cumulative, meaning that they cover all material previously learned, though they have a focus on the material learned after the last test.
- Reading & concept challenges will consist of multiple-choice questions.
- The assessment duration is 60 minutes for the quiz and midterm, 120 minutes for the final.
- If you access the reading & concept challenge last minute then you will not receive the full amount of time on the challenge. Therefore, it is recommended to take the reading & concept challenge the latest two hours before the deadline. Please note that the assessment will close permanently after the deadline, so starting it late is not possible.
- Result details: Students will be able to see their results after the availability period has ended (i.e. all of the questions and answers).
- The expected turnaround time for grades on online reading & concept challenges is immediately after the submission deadline.
Respondus Lockdown Browser
- Review the Respondus LockDown Browser Instructions on how to install, update, access your assessments, and view your grades.
- After installing the browser, please take the Practice Quiz to familiarize yourself with the testing environment and to ensure that you have downloaded the Respondus Lockdown Browser correctly.
Co-Curricular Activity Report Quest
Students will be required to attend (in-person or remotely) a co-curricular activity or event, visit a museum exhibition, or watch a movie with relevance to International Law during the course of the semester, but no later than November 16. The instructor will announce eligible activities for this assignment to students on a regular basis—the choice is the student’s what in particular they would like to undertake. Whichever co-curricular activity is undertaken, a three and a half to four (3.5 - 4) page (1,000 - 1,200 words) report is required to be written by the student describing their co-curricular experience (summary), how they feel about it (personal opinion), and how it relates to this class (academic relevance). Submission is within one week of attending the co-curricular event/ watching the movie or documentary, however, no later than the November 16th deadline (whichever comes first), through a Turnitin Dropbox. This assignment will count for ten (10) points of your class grade of 100 points.
- The co-curricular activity report cannot exceed 1,200 words. (Over 1,200 words would be deductions from the guideline rubric; the paper should not have less than 1,000 words but under no circumstances more than 1,200 words). The page count is secondary—word count determines whether this requirement of 1,000 to 1,200 words is met, but you should expect a paper length about 3.5 - 4 pages.
- Format: Normal margins, 12 pt Times New Roman (or Palatino Linotype) font, double spacing, no extra spaces between paragraphs.
- Quotations: Likely you will not need quotation as you are using your own words to paraphrase an experience. If you do want to quote, please stick with one quotation type, choose the one you feel most comfortable with/you are used to, i.e., either MLA, or APA, or Chicago, or Turabian—but stick with it/be consistent.
- Activity Choice: The co-curricular activity has to do with a topic related to concepts and/or processes of international law.
- Final Report: The co-curricular activity paper is due through the Turnitin dropbox on the Modules section of Canvas. This means it will be checked whether it is original in terms of compared to the world-wide-web, scholarly outlets, and reviews submitted with Turnitin—but also compared to your peers in this class. This is an individual assignment and you must work on it by yourself, i.e., it cannot be identical or similar to another student’s submitted paper.
- Late submission is subject to the deduction policy specified above under “Policies/ Additional Course Policies.” However, 10 days after the initial deadline submission will close permanently and no further late submission will be possible after that date.
- Grading timeframe is about one week after the submission deadline.
- Review the detailed Turnitin instructions on how to submit your assignments and how to review the Grademark comments (feedback) from your professor.
Rubric:
|
Co-Curricular Activity Report Quest Rubric |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Points Possible |
6 points |
4.5 points |
3 points |
0 points |
|
Critical Evaluation
|
Shows mastery of the material. Synthesizes and integrates learned material. Makes interesting and insightful connections and contrasts. Activity and topic chosen is highly relevant to assignment. |
Shows general grasp of the material but portions of paper may be lacking. Synthesizes and integrates most but not all of the learned material. Activity and topic chosen is somewhat relevant to assignment. |
Shows little understanding of the material. Barely addresses relevant background material, no effort to draw connections among materials. Activity and topic chosen is irrelevant or marginally relevant to assignment. |
Post does not demonstrate an understanding of the topic, is off-topic, or no response to the question(s) has been made. |
|
Points Possible |
2 points |
1.5 points |
1 point |
0 points |
|
Organization & Style |
Organized neatly into three paragraphs (summary, relevance, opinion). Sophisticated transitional devices. Headings or subheadings logically placed. No spelling or grammatical errors. |
Some problems with clarity or topic. Uses fairly sophisticated transitional devices. Generally follows directions but one or two problems with formatting. Some poorly placed or obscure headings. Well written but may contain few (1-3) errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Lacks coherence, few or no transitional devices. Missing a topic or clear idea. Information presented in unrelated bits and pieces. Fails generally to follow directions, sloppy. Odd or no formatting. Little or no sections or subheadings. Contains numerous errors (4-7) in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Many (7+) errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, or no response has been made. |
|
Point Possible |
2 points |
1.5 points |
1 point |
0 points |
|
Follows Guidelines |
Meets all guidelines for word length, web link inclusion, inclusion of summary, opinion and relevance sections, full and accurate citation of source(s), where applicable. Deadlines met. Report word count between 1,000 and 1,200 words. |
Meets some guidelines and does not meet others for word length, accurate citation or inclusion of sections. Report word count up to 50 words below or above word count limits (i.e., word count of 950-1,000 or 1,200-1,250 words). |
Delivers assignment but fails to follow guidelines for word length, inclusion of summary, opinion and relevance sections or accurate citation. Report word count 50-100 words below or above word count limits (i.e., word count of 900-950 or 1,250-1,300 words). |
Deadlines not met, or word count below 900 words or above 1,300 words. |
|
Total Points possible per question |
10 points |
7.5 points |
5 points |
0 points |
|
***Lateness policy: As per lateness policy specified in the syllabus, a post that is one day late incurs -1 point deduction; two days late -2 points deduction; three days late -3 points deduction; etc. pp.; up to nine days late -9 points deduction—in addition to any point deductions necessary through regular grading. (posts 10 days late would incur the full 10 points deduction and, thus, would count as ‘zero.’) |
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Important Dates and Deadlines
Discussion Arena Posts:
- September 3, 2020 (Thursday) - First discussion arena, essay & discussion question due by 11:59pm EDT.
- September 8, 2020 (Tuesday) – First discussion arena, two participation replies due by 11:59pm EDT (due on a Tuesday due to Labor Holiday; otherwise always Mondays).
- September 24, 2020 (Thursday) - Second discussion arena, essay & discussion question due by 11:59pm EDT.
- September 28, 2020 (Monday) – Second discussion arena, two participation replies due by 11:59pm EDT.
- October 15, 2020 (Thursday) - Third discussion arena, essay & discussion question due by 11:59pm EDT.
- October 19, 2020 (Monday) – Third discussion arena, two participation replies due by 11:59pm EDT.
- November 25, 2020 (Wednesday) - Fourth discussion arena, essay & discussion question due by 11:59pm EST (due on a Wednesday due to Thanksgiving Holiday; otherwise always Thursdays) (Eastern Daylight Savings Time [EDT] Ends on November 1, 2020, Eastern Standard Time [EST] Resumes; make sure you have changed your clocks, or to note the changed time difference if you are taking this course remotely from a country without DST).
- November 30, 2020 (Monday) - Fourth discussion arena, two participation replies due by 11:59pm EDT.
Reading & Concept Challenges:
- October 5, 2020 – First online reading & concept challenge (Quiz) due by 11:59pm EDT.
- November 2, 2020 – Second online reading & concept challenge (Midterm) due by 11:59pm EST (Eastern Daylight Savings Time [EDT] Ends on November 1, 2020, Eastern Standard Time [EST] Resumes; make sure you have changed your clocks, or to note the changed time difference if you are taking this course remotely from a country without DST).
- December 11, 2020 – Third online reading & concept challenge (Final) due by 11:59pm EST.
Assignments:
- November 16, 2020 – Co-Curricular Activity Report due by 11:59pm EDT.
Bi-Weekly News Video Journal Entries:
- September 14, 2020 – First bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EDT.
- September 28, 2020 – Second bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EDT.
- October 12, 2020 – Third bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EDT.
- October 26, 2020 – Fourth bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EDT.
- November 9, 2020 – Fifth bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EST (Eastern Daylight Savings Time [EDT] Ends on November 1, 2020, Eastern Standard Time [EST] Resumes; make sure you have changed your clocks, or to note the changed time difference if you are taking this course remotely from a country without DST).
- November 23, 2020 – Sixth bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EST.
- December 7, 2020 – Seventh bi-weekly news journal entry by 11:59pm EST
University Deadlines:
- August 31, 2020 – Last day to add courses; last day to drop courses or withdraw from the University without incurring financial liability for Tuition and Fees
- September 7, 2020 – Labor Day Holiday (university closed)
- November 2, 2020 – Deadline to drop a course with a DR grade; Deadline to withdraw from the University with a WI grade
- November 11, 2020 – Veterans Day Holiday Observed (university closed)
- November 26, 2020 – Thanksgiving Holiday (university closed)
- November 27-28, 2020 – Thanksgiving Break (university closed)
- December 7-12, 2020 – Finals’ Week
- December 17, 2020 – Grades available on my.fiu.edu by 2:00am
Grading
| Course Requirements | Number of Items | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion Arena Participation (10 points each) | 4 | 40 |
| Bi-weekly News Video Journal Entries (2 points each) | 7 | 14 |
| Reading & Concept Quiz Challenge | 1 | 6 |
| Reading & Concept Midterm Challenge | 1 | 10 |
| Co-Curricular Activity Report Quest |
1 | 10 |
| Reading & Concept Final Challenge | 1 | 20 |
| TOTAL | 15 | 100 |
| Letter | Range | Letter | Range | Letter | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 95 or above | B | 83 - 86 | C | 70 - 76 |
| A- | 90 - 94 | B- | 80 - 82 | D | 60 - 69 |
| B+ | 87 - 89 | C+ | 77 - 79 | F | 59 or less |