World / Regional Geography

Home | Anthropology | Geography | Mesoamerica Program

Office: Rio Grande Campus
Attache Building 207
Telephone: 223-3389
e-mail: cdavis@austincc.edu

12 Week

Syn: 14347 OPC 003
MANDATORY Online orientation ONLY from 2/9 - 2/14-- Web

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Clint E. Davis
Office: RGC, Attache Building, Room 207
Office Phone: 512-223-3389
Office Hours: Call for Appointment: M. thru F. 8-10AM

I. This is Not a Blackboard Course!-The syllabus for this course (following this guide) contains all the information that you need for my course. You are required to fill out the orientation form accompanying the syllabus.

II. All the tests are at all Testing Centers as of the beginning date for the Semester. Testing centers provide scantrons, only a #2 pencil and your ACC ID are required. Exams may be taken anytime prior to the posted due dates. You are given a copy of your grades (%) and a copy is sent to me

III. The date of the last exam is always before the last day of classes for the semester. The date for the last exam is final and written in stone!

IV. The Study Guide provides a study aid and tests of your reading and comprehension abilities. It can be used before, during or after each chapter to further your study skills. It is a guide only!-Do not expect to see any of the questions on the exam.

V. Map Exercises: Follow the syllabus carefully! If you do not do the map exercises with due diligence (clearly, map key, accurate delineations) I will call and discuss them with you. Do Not call me and ask for your score on the maps!

VI. Exams and Grades: DO Not ask me to calculate your grades-Follow the Syllabus! Due dates for map exercises are always 5 days after the due date for each exam.

VII. Do not under any circumstances ask for extra credit!

You have reached the online orientation. To complete the on-line orientation make sure you have read the syllabus and then complete the following information sheet and e-mail me the information sheet at: cdavis@austincc.edu. If you are unable to use the e-mail connection, you must contact me within 48 hours of the end of late registration to set up an appointment.

STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET

(Please copy/paste the following information into an e-mail and send to cdavis@austincc.edu save a copy of the e-mail for your records!)

NAME:(first) (M.I.) (last):

COURSE NUMBER:

COURSE TITLE

COURSE SYNONYM

SECTION NUMBER

STUDENT ACC ID NUMBER:

ADDRESS: (street) (apt. #)(city) (ZIP)

CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER:

E-MAIL ADDRESS:

How many open campus courses are you taking this semester?

Number of semester hours you are taking this semester (including this course.)

Comments:

Syllabus

(1) Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts by de Blij and Muller. Wiley 12 th edition.

(2) Study Guide de Blij and Muller’s Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts by Peter O. Muller and Elizabeth Muller Hames. Wiley and Sons, Inc. 12th edition.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will introduce the student to the breadth and depth of the discipline of geography. The course is designed to view the globe and its human/cultural diversity from a perspective that explores human landscape patterns and uses, influenced by continental, historic and economic regions of the world. From large scale realms to the small scale patterns produced by families, towns and cities within larger regions, this course provides the student with a spatial perspective of human lifestyles as adaptations to local and global economic development.

COURSE METHODOLOGY

The goal of this course is to understand the complexity of "places" across the globe created by the interplay of environment and culture. The preceding will bring about a better understanding of the mosaic of world societies and how they have modified the natural environment through social, economic, and political organization.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, the student:
* Will be able to describe what geography is.
* Will understand the importance of geographic tools and philosophy.
* Will understand the importance of the historical development of places.
* Will understand the basics of geographic diversity and location.

COURSE POLICIES

* Withdrawal is students responsibility!

* No Retests!

* No Incompletes Given!!

* Exam Make-ups: Only for unavoidable situations and only with notification of instructor prior to the exam!

* Scholastic Dishonesty: Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam, quiz or exercise, plagiarization, and unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as but limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework. Punishment for scholastic dishonesty may include grade reduction and or expulsion from the class.

STUDENTS With DISABILITIES

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY

Students take multiple choice questions over the text materials and construct maps that compliment the text materials. The required Study Guide provides a structure for Understanding and Studying the course material.

EXAM SCHEDULE

Map Constructions - Any two of #1, #2, #3 in the required Study Guide (Under Map Constructions-Read Instructions Carefully)-For each and every text chapter. To receive full credit maps must be complete, clear, and neat.

There are three ways to present map work as follows:

[1] They can be put through the door of the Attache Building Room 207 (across from main entrance to RGC),

[2] sent by inter-campus mail (provost’s office) or

[3] sent by postal service addressed to Professor Clint Davis, 1212 Rio Grande St., Austin, Texas, 78701.

I should receive the map exercises no later than the Friday following the date by which each exam must be taken.

EXAMS AND SCORES

Part I (1/2 of Each Exam Score): Objective questions over the text readings (approximately 15 per text chapter). Each objective exam is worth a maximum of 100 points per exam score regardless of the number of questions. REMEMBER TO USE ALL AREAS OF THE STUDY GUIDE TO PREPARE FOR EXAMS (Except Sample Essays)

Part II (1/2 of Each Exam Score): Map Constructions from Study Guide are worth a maximum of 100 points per exam score regardless of the maps required. Students will be notified if they DO NOT receive the full 100 points.

Under no circumstances ask for map scores- I will contact students if they are NOT getting full credit for the maps.

All exams are available at the beginning of each semester and may be taken any time before (or on) the due date for each exam.

GRADE DETERMINATION

Each exam is worth a total of 200 points (100 points from the Text questions plus 100 points from the map constructions). Students will receive the full 100 points on the map constructions as long as all maps are turned in on-time and presented in a clear and readable fashion. It is very easy for a student to compute grades for each exam as follows: multiply your percentage of correct questions( # of correct answers divided by the total # of questions) on each exam by 100 points then add 100 points for the map grade for each exam. Take the preceding total and divide by 200. The result gives the students’ percentage for any given exam.
Please do not call and ask for your grades to be computed or ask for your grades. That is your responsibility!

Final Course Grades are computed by averaging all four exam grades. “A”=100-90%, “B”=89-80%, “C”=79-70%, “D”=69-60%, “F”=Below 60%.

Testing Center Hours vary, please check schedules and allow at least 1-1/2 hrs. of testing time for each exam. Take your student ID and save your receipts!!