SCHC 382: U.S. Constitution: Why and how it was created, how it has survived, and how it impacts America (due August 19, 2025)

IMPORTANT! Only students currently enrolled in SCHC 382 for the Fall 2025 semester are eligible to submit payment. Non-refundable program fee is $100. Required course travel to Philadelphia on Friday, Sept. 19.

Starting May 7, 2025, U.S travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or state-issued ID, or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, to board domestic flights.

Every well-educated American citizen, regardless of his or her chosen business or profession, should be knowledgeable about the United States Constitution. Along with this knowledge will come appreciation and admiration. This course traces its historical and philosophical roots, reviews the debates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, examines the brilliant concepts of separation of powers and the system of checks and balances, and provides insight into the ideas and concerns of our Founding Fathers. It also covers the ratification process and the debates between those favoring ratification and those fearful of the federal governmental powers it created. We will study some of the Federalist papers as well as the writings of some of the Anti-federalists. The class will go through the Constitution clause-by-clause carefully and learn why our system of government has been adopted by many other countries. The course concludes with the study of some of the most famous cases of the United States Supreme Court. Some of these cases interpret the Constitution, including its "elastic clauses." Other cases define and expand our rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Each student will select and read a biography on one of the Founding Fathers. Book reports will be orally presented to the entire class. During these presentations, students will develop their elocution skills. During the semester, the class will collect a list of unfamiliar words found in the texts and learn their meanings. The highlight of the semester will be a trip to Philadelphia where students will see the "Most Historic Square Mile" in the United States with a tour of Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center.

Honors College course travel responsibilities

This course requires a program fee associated with the travel. The South Carolina Honors College will cover a large portion of the associated costs for the students attending the trip. You may incur some costs associated with this travel, in addition to the program fee. This could include some meals, local transportation (Uber/Lyft, public transit), and travel to/from the airport for flights. If you have time conflicts or do not want to attend the trip, you should drop the course before the first day of class.

Students are required to notify the course instructor of their inability to attend the trip due to illness or emergency, and documentation must be provided for the absence. If students fail to attend the trip, and they do not notify the instructor of their inability to attend in advance or provide documentation for their absence, they will be eligible for a grade deduction.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Carolinian Creed and local laws while they are traveling with the course.

This payment includes a 2.5% processing fee.